Vampir Metrou Blog

The Vampir Metrou on Ning

2010-08-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

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My picks from America's top 40

2010-02-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

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THE GAMES A FOOT!

2009-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

Today I went and saw SHERLOCK HOLMES with a few friends.

FILM REVIEW

19th century London comes to life in all its splendor in this, the most recent adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The poring rain, and muddied cobble shadowed by the all too recognizable scaffolds erecting the forth coming Tower Bride really set the scene. Everything is believable from the costumes down to the pernicious Victorian tone of the "upper classes". Downey Jr pulls off his version of Holmes including his snippy impatience. Jude comes across as the typical rational Watson with his own style added. The plot was well thought out and the acting including the evil kingpin was done flawlessly. Special effects and artistry were top notch.

This is a very doable film with all the perks to keep your interests.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!

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2009-12-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

VAMPIR METROU HOME GROUP BANNER

2009-12-22T18:32:00.001-08:00

I heard a statistic today

2009-12-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

I heard a statistic today that read: 83% of all statistics are made up on the spot, and 43% of the true statistics are in error.

How can anyone trust a statistic? So 17% of the statistics you hear are based on facts, but 43% of those are still in error. This suggesting, if you hear 100 statistics a week, 83 were made up, and 17 were based in fact. Of those 17, roughly half, 43% are in error. Leaving you with 8 that you can somewhat put faith into. Trouble is, out of the hundred you hear, which 8 should you trust? lol

The Vernon Tunnel, Tunnel Road, Vernon CT & The Rails to Trails project

2009-11-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

The Vernon Tunnel is another rare engineering structure from Connecticut's first generation of railroad construction. Like other railroads of the period, the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad had to accommodate numerous pre-existing rural roads when putting through their line. While most roads simply crossed the tracks at grade, at least initially, tunnels such as this were needed when the railroad, in order to maintain a near-constant elevation for its line, constructed a high embankment. Massive ashlar masonry such as that of the Vernon Tunnel was typical of these early railroad structures. The tunnel has outlived the rail line, which was abandoned in the late 1970s.

Vernon Tunnel

This Single lane auto/car tunnel is still in use, whereas the

high embankment above has been fashioned into a beatiful hiking/bike/jogging/walking path. They tore up the disused Rail Road tracks and liked the path with heavy sand.

From the embankment you look down upon sprawling woodlands and neighbouhood farms.

This Multi-use 'greenway' consists of 5.05 miles of trail along an abandoned railway (Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill RR) from the Vernon/Manchester town line easterly, then southerly to the Vernon/Bolton town line. From Bolton, the railway has been re-graded 15 more miles to Willimantic and is identified as a Connecticut State Trail named the "Hop River Linear Park Trail". In Willimantic, it joins the Airline Linear Park Trail which is approximately 40 miles long. These trails are permitted on Connecticut DEP property.

The original railroad was completed in 1849 and ran for over 100 years. The Rails to Trails project was designed and engineered by the Town of Vernon Engineering Department. Phase 1 of the project funs from Tunnel Road to the Bolton Line and was dedicated in 1995(2.43 miles). This section in Vernon was re-graded by the Connecticut National Guard- Bravo Company of the 242nd Engineer Battalion and was then covered with stone dust by the Town of Vernon. The trail was named "Route Sapper" in honor of the Bravo Company in Vernon. The funding for this project was obtained by the Vernon Hockanum River Linear Park Committee from the State via ISTEA funding, grants and the Boulder Ridge Subdivision sidewalk fund. The trail provides to the public a route for biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, and horseback. Handicap usage is encouraged. The trail is maintained by the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department and by volunteers. Phase 2 of the project, which was dedicated in 1998, runs from Tunnel Road to the Manchester town line and from Phoenix Street to the Tankerhoosen Bridge(2.62 miles). This phase was funded by State and Federal STP enhancement programs and HRLP funds. Phase 3 of the project runs from the Tankerhoosen Bridge to West Road and was dedicated in 2000 (3.19 miles). This part of the trail was constructed by the Town of Vernon Department of Public Works with National Recreation Trails program grants and State LOCIP funding

There is even on the Tunnel Road Embankment section, a very rustc little shed/outbuilding that is a beautiful focal point along the hike.

Or as I like to think of it as "The house in the woods"

SPOOKY!

Twenty Years After Revolution Romania Grapples with Future

2009-11-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

Romania is gearing up to remember next month's 20th anniversary of the violent revolution that overthrew the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in which some 1,300 people lost their lives. Celebrations and memorials are planned - though some Romanians still feel ambivalent about the 90-minute show trial of Ceausescu and his wife Elena on Christmas Day, 1989, which was followed immediately by their execution by firing squad.

Ironically, Romania finds now itself in the middle of a crucial presidential election still colored by the deep shadows of the past. It remains one of Europe's poorest countries and has been hit especially hard by the global recession.

In last Sunday's voting, incumbent Traian Basescu of the centrist Democrats won almost 33 percent of the vote. He'll face off in a run-off on December 6 against Mircea Geoana of the Social Democrats, the heirs of the Communist Party, who won around 30 percent. A third candidate, Crin Antonescu, took around 20 percent, and has thrown his support to Geoana. Polls suggest a close finish with Geoana possibly holding a narrow advantage.

In many ways, Romania emerged from the revolution the least prepared of any country in Eastern Europe to face a non-communist future. Its economy was in ruins, its people half-starving. Unlike Poland, which had Solidarity, or Czechoslovakia, where Vaclav Havel was the natural choice for president, Romania had no dissident movement to provide its new leaders. Ceausescu had ruthlessly crushed any and every sign of dissent. The Securitate secret police were ubiquitous, monitoring every citizen's movements, associations, telephone conversations and activities. It's been said that one in every four Romanians was collaborating with the Securitate in one way or another.

After several days of bloody street fighting, so-called "moderate" communists led by Ion Iliescu managed to exert authority over the country. Iliescu duly won almost 90 percent in the first post-communist election in May 1990. Former communists stayed in control for all but four years until 2004, slowing economic reforms, keeping the lid on attempts to investigate the crimes of the past and allowing rampant corruption to emerge as the country's biggest problem. Indeed, today corruption permeates almost every aspect of daily life, from visiting the doctor to winning prized slots in medical or law schools.

The country's agricultural sector remains hopelessly backward and many Romanian villages still lack running water.

The no-nonsense Basescu, a former merchant marine captain, promised a fresh start when he narrowly won the presidency in December 2004. He steered the country to European Union membership in January 2007 and presided over several years of economic growth. Foreign investment flooded into the country, real estate in and around Bucharest took off and the government took some halting steps to tackle corruption and come to terms with the past.

But the Social Democrats still controlled parliament and were able to frustrate much of Basescu's agenda. They even engineered an attempt in 2007 to impeach him - but a referendum decisively returned him to power.

Then came the global economic slump. Thousands of Romanian workers who had found lucrative employment in Italy, Spain and elsewhere in Europe, lost their jobs and had to return home. The Romanian economy is forecast to shrink by 8.5 percent this year and had to look to the International Monetary Fund for a $30 billion bailout. The country has been run by a caretaker government since mid-October when the Social Democrats withdrew their support. There is no state budget for 2010 and the IMF has delayed disbursing its next scheduled loan payment of $2.2 billion until the crisis is resolved. The money is needed to pay some 1.3 million state workers, who will likely have to celebrate Christmas without their salaries. For them and for millions of other Romanians, it's likely to be a long, cold winter.

As they mark their anniversary, Romanians should take pride in their revolution. They exhibited enormous courage, defying the dictator's tanks and guns with their bare hands to win freedom and the chance of a brighter future. But for many, the promise of that revolution has yet to be fully redeemed.

Alan Elsner

Author, Journalist

Rhode Island "That place next door"

2009-11-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

I have an immense distaste for Rhode Island, mainly because it is so small and useless.

There seems to be only one road that meanders through it and it wraps around the state in an endless circle of pot holes. Providence is a pretty city but ill get to that in a moment. You can't really count NEWPORT or its mansions as a redeeming quality of Rhode Island because no one from Rhode Island lives in them. They are all summer homes for people from Connecticut!

At any point in time along the major routes in and out of Rhode Island you will notice a disproportionate number of vehicles exiting the state to those entering. And if you were to ever be pulled over by a RI state trooper he would undoubtedly leap into the back seat of your car and exclaim,

" I have a gun pointed at the back of your head, turn around and get me out of here, DRIVE, DRIVE, DRIVE! "

Some RI facts that you may not know.

state motto: "Run while you can"

State flower: Poison ivy

state bird: The Vulture

State seal: A Century 21 sign that reads [ FOR SALE]

Upon entering the state you are greeted by not only a strange smell but a sign that reads "Welcome to the armpit of Connecticut". In RI their favourite pass time is "cow tipping" and their favourite sport is "slap your brother's bottom".

Here are some indicators that you're from Rhode Island:

YOU MIGHT BE FROM RHODE ISLAND IF-

You think Sherlock Holmes is a housing project outside Providence.

You have been married three times yet your in-laws remain the same.

You think Taco Bell is the Mexican phone company.

You find it normal that your dentist moonlights as a Maytag repair man and is much busier their.

The State passes a new law saying after you divorce, you are still legally BROTHER and SISTER.

You can burp and say your name at the same time.

You brought a fishing pole when visiting Mystic Sea Life Aquarium in Connecticut.

You met your current wife by calling the number on the men's room stall door.

You think a quarter horse is the ride outside the dollar store

Your bathroom is on blocks behind your trailer.

Your house has wheels and a wide load banner on it.

You and your dog use the same tree!

and

You wear your Sunday bests to shop at Wal-mart.

Lets talk about Providence for a moment, Pretty actually with a population of aprox, 626,000 (as of Jul 2008) and 624,000 of those are HOMELESS and 1,400 are tourist that became lost driving from Mass, about 600 of them are unknown. Providence has some beautiful architecture, borrowing from Historic Connecticut designs. An interesting river that flows through it, or is that what is known as "waste management". Their accent, HA! Their accent sounds like a mix between someone exiting a synagogue with marbles in their mouth and a high pitched cat screaming as if it were being skinned alive!

Their idea of garden statuary is old refrigerators with no doors and a few rusty hood less abandoned cars. Of course you often cannot see these yard ornaments through the 6' grass and vines covering their trailers. The roads have no street lamps because no one wants to look at the state in the day, never mind illuminating it at night. The tax rate in RI is much less because they have no highways to fund (those that run through it are owned either by CT or MASS) and they certainly don't use it for education!

This is not a joke (this actually happened to me) I once stopped in a small town to ask for directions to the beach and the girl at the counter who only sold BOSTON maps had this golden nugget of advice. "Well, this is Rhode Island, drive in any direction. We are surrounded by water, you are bound to hit one sooner or later"!!! Ask yourself this, Surrounded? Surrounded would suggest it really were an Island. However, to the West is Connecticut and to the North is Massachusetts. So surrounded? Now, why is it that the deeper you travel into that dirty little state, the more it resembles a hick town out of a slasher film?

So the nest time you're up at 3am watching an extended commercial for "FEED THE CHILDREN". You know, the ones that depict the faces of fly covered children drinking murky water from a rusty old basin, remember; Those may just be children from Rhode Island, give and give generously!

Thank you,

This was a response to a blog I read about some jerk who hated CT and he was from, YOU GUESSED IT!

EVEN ON THE COLDEST DAYS, ROMANIAN WEATHER CAN BE HOT!!!

2009-11-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

PRO TV out of Bucuresti uses Sex to sell their product. What is their product? RATINGS. They get advertisers to buy time slots during the news, and to keep the publics attention they use "Hot" chicks and muscular guys as presenters.

HERE IS ARE TWO EXAMPLES HOW ON EVEN ON THE COLDEST DAYS, ROMANIAN WEATHER CAN BE HOT!!!

Romanian Weather Girl Rumena Rumene Romania

Weather Guy Romania

GUARD DOGS

2009-11-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

This article was removed at the request of a Dog trainer and German Shepherd breeder.

The photos remain because they are interesting on their own.

GERMAN SHEPHERD BITE MARKS

EVIL PUPPY?

The historic Heublein Tower in Simsbury, Connecticut

2009-11-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

One day, in the years after the turn of the 20th century but before the outbreak of World War I, German-born businessman Gilbert Heublein was hiking in the Connecticut woods with his fiancé. As they stood atop Talcott Mountain on the border between the towns of Avon and Simsbury, Gilbert promised Louise that he'd build her a castle on that very spot. Heublein had the means. He'd made a fortune in the hotel business, and importing food and beverages - notably A-1 Steak Sauce and Smirnoff vodka.

In 1914, Heublein made good on his promise, building a summer home complete with a six-story tower at the peak of the stone ridge overlooking Connecticut's Farmington Valley. The 165-foot tower, modeled after the architecture of Heublein's native Bavaria, was designed to withstand 100-mile-per-hour winds.

For decades, the Heublein family made the house at the peak of the 1000-foot high mountain its summer retreat. At the top of the tower is a grand ballroom, where the family held lavish parties. It was here, at a more subdued Heublein Tower party, where history was made in the 1950s, when notable Republicans, including Connecticut Senator Prescott Bush - father and grandfather to two US Presidents - convinced General Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for president as a member of the GOP.

Today, the Heublein Tower is owned and managed by the state of Connecticut's Department of Environment Protection. A quarter century ago, a group called Friends of the Heublein Tower was formed to assist in the restoration and upkeep of the home, which operates as a museum and educational center.

The tower sits at the center of a 350-acre site that is part of Talcott Mountain State Park. Visitors can climb the 110 steps to the former grand ballroom on the uppermost observation level. From here, the view is spectacular, taking in parts of six states - from New Hamshire's Mount Monadnock to the northeast, the rolling Berkshire Mountains to the west, and even New York's Long Island to the south.

The 165-foot Heublein Tower, in Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury, is a very notable Connecticut landmark which provides spectacular views of Hartford and the Farmington River Valley. It was built as a residence for Gilbert Heublein, a food and drink magnate and manufacturer of A1 Steak Sauce, and was modeled on castles in his native Bavaria. In 1875, a young Heublein was hiking on the mountain with his fiancee and said, ”Someday Louise, I’m going to build you a castle on this mountain.” The Tower, constructed to withstand 100 MPH winds, was designed by Smith and Bassette and built by T. R. Fox and Son in 1914. The rest of the residence was added around 1925. The tower later opened to the public as part of the state park and many visitors hike up to visit it each year. There have been a number of restorations of the building, most recently through the efforts of the Friends of Heublein Tower.

Funniest sneaker (trainers for my British viewers) Advert ever!

2009-11-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

This Advert is just way too funny. Little dude would rather die than be embarassesed! LOL

I should have been an artist!

2009-11-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

At a Christie's auction in September in New York City, London artist Gavin Turk's empty, nondescript cardboard box (the size of an ordinary moving-company box) sold for $16,000. (Actually, it was a sculpture designed to look exactly like an empty, nondescript cardboard box.) [New York Post, 9-2-09]

5-year-old bodybuilder from Romania

2009-10-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Guiliano Stroe, the 5-year-old bodybuilder from Romania, has become an internet sensation as this viral video of him working out has spread like wildfire. The little guy is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for finishing the "fastest ever 10-meter walk with a weight ball between his legs in 24 seconds."

Questions have been raised about whether it might be unhealthy to begin lifting weights at such a young age; the practice is highly unusual. Regardless, Guiliano is capable of some incredible feats of strength

Green Building and Romania

2009-10-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Nokia factory in Romania one of world´s leading green buildings

Anca Enoiu

Nokia's Jucu Factory in Romania has been chosen as one of the world's leading green buildings by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

The prestigious Gold Rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the first for a building in Romania and recognizes the major investment in innovative environmental features made by Nokia since its construction in 2007.

Jucu factory Managing Director Risto Meskus said today (Tues): "We are extremely proud to be leading the way in creating truly sustainable buildings in our operations. It is an honour that our factory in Romania has been picked as one of the world's most-sustainable buildings and Romania's greenest factory.

"This achievement demonstrates our strong commitment to, and investment in, sustainability, efficiency and environmental quality in the way we run our daily business," Meskus added.

Nokia Jucu factory is a 60 million Euro investment in Romania begun in 2007 and finished in September 2008.

Nokia is one of the most important investors in Romania in the telecommunications sector.

Law Abiding Citizen, Movie review.

2009-10-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

I went to see this Sunday at Providence Place Cinemas 16 & IMAX (Rhode Island)

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is a brilliant planner and inventor. One night two robbers invade his Philadelphia home and brutally kill his wife and daughter, and almost kill him. The killers are caught, and Assistant DA Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is assigned the case. Nick is ordered by the DA to make a deal with one of the killers to testify against his partner for a 10 year plea bargain prison sentence. Clyde doesn't want Nick to make the deal, but Nick says it was too late and the deal is done. The other killer got the death penalty. After 10 years, the other killer is released from prison, and he soon ends up dead. Clyde is arrested and kind of admits to Nick that he did it. Clyde is put in jail, and he warns Nick that he must fix the broken justice system that failed him and his family or else anyone connected to his case will soon die. Even from jail, Clyde's threats become a reality, and Nick must stop Clyde before his family is next

My Opinion:

This was the Best film Crime/drama/action, Ive seen in a very long time. The film causes you to think, and think you do. The action isn't slow at any point. You might even think twice about using your mobile phone ever again. Each of the actors did a supurb job. To tell you anymore wqould give things away.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

THIS IS A "MUST SEE", HAVE FUN.

Boston Neck Rd, Suffield, CT Haunted Mansion

2009-10-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Boston Neck Rd, Suffield, CT Haunted Mansion in Ruins

Warning: This house is lived in. The place is huge, look at it from above on Google Earth, but.....the family is odd There are about 9 out building including the ruins of an old carriage house . They live like west Virginians lol, there are no fewer than 20 cars disabled and strune around the farm including old tractor trailors and yellow school buses. In its "hay day", it was a massive estate. I believe several families live in whats left of the buildings, Youve gotta look on Google Earth or Bing for an aireal view, its quite scary! Leave these people alone, or you might not come back. DO NOT go TRICK-OR-TREATING there! lol

The angle of the sun provented me from getting any side shots, this place is huge!

About Georgian Architecture:

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United Kingdom, and George IV of the United Kingdom—who reigned in continuous succession from August 1714 to June 1830.

General characteristics

Identifying Features (1700 - c.1780):

A simple 1-2 story box, 2 rooms deep, using strict symmetry arrangements

Panel front door centered, topped with rectangular windows (in door or as a transom) and capped with an elaborate crown/entablature supported by decorative pilasters

Cornice embellished with decorative moldings, usually dentilwork

Multi-pane windows are never paired, and fenestrations are arranged symmetrically (whether vertical or horizontal), usually 5 across

Other features of Georgian style houses can include - roof to ground-level:

Roof: 40% are Side-gabled; 25% Gambrel; 25% Hipped

Chimneys on both sides of the home

A portico in the middle of the roof with a window in the middle is more common with post-Georgian styles, e.g. "Adam"

Small 6-paned sash windows and/or dormer windows in the upper floors, primarily used for servant's quarters. This was also a way of reducing window tax.

Larger windows with 9 or 12 panes on the main floors

Schwartz pond, shot from stone bridge ifront of the house.

Colonial Georgian architecture

Georgian Architecture was widely disseminated in the English colonies of the time. In the American colonies, colonial Georgian blended with the neo-Palladian style to become known more broadly as 'Federal style architecture'. Georgian buildings were also constructed of wood with clapboards; even columns were made of timber, framed up and turned on an over-sized lathe. The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is an excellent example of Georgian architecture in the Americas.

Unlike the Baroque style that it replaced, which was generated almost solely in the context of palaces and churches, Georgian had wide currency in the upper and middle classes. Within the residential context, the best remaining example is the pristine Hammond-Harwood House (1774) in Annapolis, Maryland. This house was designed by colonial architect William Buckland and modeled on the Villa Pisani at Montagnana, Italy as depicted in Andrea Palladio's I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (Four Books Of Architecture).

good example of a Suffield Georgian

The establishment of Georgian architecture, and the Georgian styles of design more generally, were to a large degree aided by the fact that, unlike earlier styles which were primarily disseminated among craftsmen through the direct experience of the apprenticeship system, Georgian was also spread through the new medium of inexpensive suites of engravings. From the mid-18th century, Georgian styles were assimilated into an architectural vernacular that became part and parcel of the training of every architect, designer, builder, carpenter, mason and plasterer, from Edinburgh to Maryland.

Very sad to see such a once proud property in decline. There is a painting of this house back in its prime, at the library and ive seen it online. I can't find it right now, but you wont believe the difference.

UPDATE!

You can see an aerial shot of this massive estate in run down condition at Bing maps, birds eye vie. Here is the link:

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTSN&cp=qzttd68ycrz4&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=17054460&encType=1

While your there, drag the curser behind the house and follow the dirt farm road, endless busses and old farm equipment, its truly creepy! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

KENT PLACE MANSION II

2009-10-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

KENT PLACE MANSION II

This is KENT PLACE MANSION! I compared the pic to known architecture. and the address matches.

In 1897 Sidney Albert Kent, a Suffield native who had returned from Chicago, offered the town a fine new building to be placed on his ancestral land across the green. The building, the first Kent Memorial Library, was dedicated in 1899. When plans for building a new library were made in the 1960's, some of the funds were raised by selling the old building to Suffield Academy to use as its library. The new Kent Memorial Library was rededicated in its new location, at the head of Mountain Road, in 1972. Warren Platner Associates, a world-renowned architectural firm, designed the library.

The library has an area of over 14,000 square feet. In addition to the book stacks, the library has a 70-seat auditorium, separate children's room, the Spencer Historical Room housing an outstanding collection of early Suffield and Connecticut books and manuscripts, and an outside courtyard. The building interior is a series of light and airy, yet warm and intimate book-walled spaces arranged around the garden court. The exterior of the building continues to evoke strong and varying opinions from residents and visitors alike as to its aesthetic qualities and whether it fits the character of the town.

Sidney Albert Kent came from a wealthy Connecticut family and was founder of the Chicago Union Stock Yard Company. His residence, one of the few remaining mansions on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Designed by famous Architects Burnham & Root. The generous window openings and the sculptured qualities of masonry materials are a precursor to the firm's later designs

OLD NEWGATE PRISON

2009-10-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

I visited the Prison today but it was closed. Supposedly very haunted. Ive heard even the trails behind are filled with spirits. I took these pictures but please visit http://www.graveaddiction.com/newgate.html for interior shots that I was unable to get.

NO JOKE: I took these shots on the supposed haunted hill on the rear facing side of the property. It is said that you can hear the sounds and see forms in the shadows, of former prisoners. When taking this shot I heard earie noises as if someone was walking close by. However, I was alone. I wasn't startled because it was broad day light. The odd part came when out of nowhere i was engulfed by ladybugs. They were covering my shirt, hands and trousers. Very creepy. They filled the air like a cloud of locust. It was hard not to inhale them.

This is the shot during which I heard foot steps. Odd. The sun was cut off by the trees. Im not sure what to make of it but its the only time I heard the noise and its the only shot that came out cloudy.

In this shot, you see not birds in the far off distance but ladybugs up very close to the lense.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I urge you to visit before the prison closes for the season on November 14th. Keep in mind, the trails and parking lot close at 4:30pm each evening.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movie review.

2009-10-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. The young couple suspects that their house is haunted by a malevolent entity. They set up video surveillance to capture evidence of what happens and find much more than they planned!

My spin:

The movie starts out slow, really slow and the cheesy "Blair-Witch" style camera work begins to wear on you but then you start to see thing! Things that keep you watching until the films abrupt end. You find the couples relationship to be believable which adds to the feel of the film. I won't spoil the ending but it will drive most users to google facts about the film as well as leaving a few extra lights on.

four out of five fangs! lol Go see it, this is a MUST SEE MOVIE!

A FULL PARDON FOR WAR CRIMES.

2009-10-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

The effect of a full pardon in the Vampir Metrou jurisdictions has been bestowed upon JOE PIFF on this day THE NINETEENTH DAY of OCTOBER, in the year of our Lord TWO THOUSAND AND NINE. It is said that this full pardon clears Mr. Piff from all infamy, removing all disqualifications and other obloquy, so that this pardoned person may take action for defamation against anyone who thereafter refers to him as a convict. In the Metrou Colectiv.

Two gold medals for Romanian gymnast in London

2009-10-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

Romanian gymnast Marian Dragulescu surprisingly won two gold medals this week-end at the London Gymnastics World Championships in London.

Dragulescu, 28, won the gold medal in the floor exercise on Saturday and the gold medal in the vault on Sunday.

His success was a big surprise since he had announced his retirement after the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of neck and back problems.

The Romanian athlete had previously won gold medals in those events at the 2001 and the 2006 World Championships.

Romanian Flavius Koczi won a silver medal on Sunday in the vault, and Russian Anton Golotsutskov won bronze in the event

Jonathan Pasco's Restaurant, Ghosts or just good food?

2009-10-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Pasco's

31 South Main Street, East Windsor, CT 06088

Captain Jonathan Pasco (A History)

When Jonathan Pasco was born on September 29, 1760 in East Windsor, George II sat on the the throne of England, and the thirteen original colonies--still under British control--were sixteen years from their independence. George Washington was 28 years old, and Abraham Lincoln would not be born for fifty years. America was a new and developing country and Jonathan Pasco would be a part of that development.

In 1776 Jonathan Pasco enlisted in Colonel John Patterson's Massachusetts regiment. He fought with that regiment in the battle of Trenton. The battle of Trenton, known as the Christmas campaign, was an important American victory because it renewed the spirit of the patriot forces and seriously disarranged the plans of the British. The battle was fought in the early morning of December 25, after the commander-in-chief of all the Continental forces, George Washington, crossed the Delaware River. They marched to the enemy's camp at Trenton and took the Hessians, by surprise. Nearly one thousand British prisoners were captured.

Legend contends that sometime during the Revolutionary War, Pasco and several other soldiers were captured by Indians. An unsuccessful escape attempt was made resulting in their recapture. As an example, one of the group was singled out, tortured and skinned alive. In order to establish his "parole not to escape," Pasco was given a pocketbook made of the torture victim's skin and was forced to take an Indian women for a wife. Pasco eventually did escape and returned to East Windsor. He named his second daughter Cleons, after his Indian wife. The pocketbook has been handed down through the generations.

After returning from the Revolutionary War, Captain Pasco constructed his home at 31 South Main Street in East Windsor. He married a local woman, Elizabeth Allen, and fathered eleven children while residing there.

At the age of eighty-four, Jonathan Pasco died. (August 21, 1844) He is buried in East Windsor in the Town Street Cemetery (historical name for South Main Street), only a mile south of the Pasco House. He also has a headstone in the Scantic Cemetery that commemorates his revolutionary War service.

Events and happenings occurred, history was made and changed, and Jonathan Pasco's house continues at 31 South Main Street moving through the centuries.

A Tribute

A collection of Pasco memorabilia is included in the decor of the restaurant, creating an interesting tribute to Jonathan Pasco. Pasco's decedents are scattered, but a few still remain in the East Windsor area. All have been helpful in creating the atmosphere of the restaurant and the accuracy of the history presented.

The House

The Jonathan Pasco House was built by its namesake in 1782 and completed for occupancy by his family in 1784. The original brick structure has been completely restored to serve as a restaurant dedicated to providing fine dining for dinner without altering the historical significance and traditional flavor of the Jonathan Pasco House.

East Windsor - Pasco's restaurant - movement of objects, closing doors, cold spots, etc.

I myself have eaten here twice and the food is good although I didn't see or hear anything odd. The place is wall-to-wall Colonial decor, so its a cool place to eat.

Kent Place Mansion, Suffield Connecticut

2009-10-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Kent Place Mansion,

Mountain Rd, Suffield, Connecticut.

The abandoned mansion has been seen with lights on and with shadows in the windows. Even in the carriage house. Update The Carriage house has since been torn down. It is believed to be haunted by its past benefactor Sidney Albert Kent. Many occurrences of a mischievous conduct take place. Pictures fall and break. Light fixtures fall. Dogs scared of certain areas only at certain times. Lights mysteriously go on when they were known to be checked as off. Back hall too second floor has cold chilling sensation at times.

UPDATE:

WARNING THIS IS A PRIVATE HOME NOW WITH NEW OWNERS, DO NOT SNOOP!

I drove by and took this picture

A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT

2009-10-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

Southington - Meridan Ave. - It is an old funeral home. It is said that when it closed down a family moved in to the house, strange happening started occurring. The 2 boys lived in their room in the basement, which used to be the Morgue. The boys reported seeing people working on bodies of dead people, and one boy was possessed by a demon. They had to perform an exorcism on the house. Some people claim that you can still see ghosts of the dead people. It is also said that the sign that used top have the name of the funeral home next to the door, has been washed, painted over, everything, but it is still there.

http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/hauntinginconnecticut.php

Holloween hits CT and it starts all over again.

2009-10-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

SOUTHINGTON, Conn. (AP) — A Hollywood horror film that depicts the alleged haunting of a former funeral parlor in central Connecticut is turning into a nightmare for the home's current owners and their neighbors.

The movie, "A Haunting in Connecticut," is long out of theaters but curious fans are already making a beeline for the Southington home that inspired the movie.

"It's just been really, really stressful," said Susan Trotta-Smith, who bought the home 10 years ago with her husband. "It's been a total change from a very quiet house in a very quiet neighborhood to looking out the window and seeing cars stopping all the time. It's been very, very stressful, and sometimes worrisome."

The family has never seen anything unusual inside their five-bedroom, two-family white wood-frame house and does not believe the property was haunted.

"It's got beautiful woodwork, and there is a nice warm feeling to the house," Trotta-Smith said. "Because it was a funeral home, the upstairs apartment is much more spacious. It's like two full houses, and it has a beautiful yard, too."

The movie, starring Virginia Madsen and Kyle Gallner and released by Lionsgate, is loosely based on stories that revolved around the house in the 1980s.

The residents at the time, the Snedeker family, claimed their son would hear strange noises in his basement bedroom, which once held casket displays and was near the old embalming room. He also claimed to see shadows on the wall of people who were not there. A niece visiting the home said she felt hands on her body as she tried to sleep, and her covers levitated.

The family brought in Ed and Lorraine Warren, self-described paranormal researchers, who became famous for documenting the alleged "Amityville Horror" haunting of a home on Long Island.

Lorraine Warren says she felt an evil presence in the Southington home and experienced the haunting herself when she spent a night there.

"In the master bedroom, there was a trap door where the coffins were brought up," she said. "And during the night, you would hear that chain hoist, as if a coffin were being brought up. But when Ed went to check, there was nobody down there."

Warren, whose husband died in 2006, has nothing to do with the movie. She said the house was "cleared" of the evil presence after a seance in 1988. A book and a television documentary followed.

The current owners, who rent out part of the home to another family, have removed the street number from the house and posted "no trespassing" signs. Trotta-Smith says they are concerned about the four children who live there.

"Most people are respectful. They stay on the road. They might take a picture," Trotta-Smith said. "But we have had a few problems with people kind of rudely coming up to the door and scaring our kids, telling them the house is haunted."

Police have added extra patrols to the neighborhood.

"There are creatures looming in the night but not inside the house," Southington police Sgt. Lowell DePalma said. "They happen to be people who are trespassing on the property, looking in windows and that kind of stuff. People are going to be disappointed. There are no ghosts."

Alison Taylor, 37, drove from her home in East Hartford with her camera after seeing a show about the haunting on the Discovery Channel and hearing about the new movie.

"I'm very intrigued," she said. "I figured since it was close, I could come. A lot of people are so skeptical, but I'm not. I'm sure some things are made up to make the movie look better, but I think it's great."

Katherine Altemus, who lives across the street, shoos curious onlookers away. She believes the ghost stories were a hoax.

"It's disgraceful," she said. "None of the haunting took place, and now it's ruining the lives of that wonderful young family that lives there."

Calls to the Snedeker family were returned by the film production company, who said they would attempt to arrange an interview.

Film producer Andrew Trapani said he believed the mother, Carmen Snedeker, was very credible, and believes the film does a good job depicting what her family went through. The movie was filmed in Teulon, Manitoba.

He said the names of the family and town in the film were fictionalized, in part to try and keep unwanted attention away from the real home. The Snedekers and Southington are identified on the film's Web site.

"We certainly didn't set out to upset anyone or have anyone show up at their home," he said. "I think in this case, this particular supernatural haunting had a much larger following than even I had anticipated."

Trotta-Smith said she's working with the police but has no plans to put up a fence. She said she just wants a normal life in the house, but she's not sure that will be possible if the movie becomes a big hit.

"I'm a little worried about this Halloween because I imagine that's when they will release the DVD and get everyone worked up again."

Romanian rugby players in massive fight

2009-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

BUCURESTI, Romania — Three Romanian rugby players were hospitalized after a fight broke out between players in a Central and Eastern European Rugby Cup match, an official said Monday.

The incident took place Sunday afternoon in the western city of Arad during a match between CSU Arad and RCM Timisoara.

Danut Borzas, manager of RCM said by telephone the players started punching and kicking each other about 20 minutes into the match. Players on the bench joined the brawl. One player, Daniel Zamfir, was hospitalized with head injuries. Another player had a broken nose and the third sustained facial injuries and had several teeth knocked out.

"We received threats before the match," Borzas said. "We have three players in hospital. They were punched and thrown to the ground and then kicked."

Borzas said he would send a complaint to the Romanian Rugby Federation and possibly also to the International Rugby Federation. The Romanian federation declined to comment.

Timisoara won the match 42-16.

Watch video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46V2Jg6AujE

Old Burying Ground (Now Palisado Cemetery) Windsor CT

2009-10-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today I spent a few hours in my favourite little quiet town in Connecticut. I spent the afternoon in the Old Burying Ground (Now Palisado Cemetery)

First Church in Windsor, Connecticut celebrated the 375th anniversary of its founding in 2005. It is the oldest Congregational Church in Connecticut and, we understand, the fourth oldest Congregational Church in the world.

First Church traces its beginnings back to 1630 in Plymouth, England where 140 men and women placed their trust in the Lord and their leadership and set sail on The Mary & John, the first of 17 ships--the so-called Winthrop Fleet-- bound for the colony of Massachusetts. They were a well educated and well-to-do group, many being dignified with the title of "Mister" which few in those days were. These Puritans had strong religious convictions and were willing to endure deprivation and danger for conscience sake. "To put on the full armor of God" were not simply words to these men and women.

A quick reading of the inscription on any early New England gravestone, and you know exactly how the deceased was regarded by his family and friends. Mr. Huit’s tabled tombstone, erected in 1644 in the Old Burying Ground of Windsor (Palisado Cemetery) and reputed to be the oldest original monument still standing in the State of Connecticut, reads:

Who when hee lived wee drew our vitall breath,

Who when hee dyed his dying was our death,

Who was ye stay of State, Ye Churches Staff,

Alas the times forbid an Epitaph

for more information please visit:

http://www.firstchurchinwindsor.org/history.aspx

or for directions:

http://www.town-usa.com/connecticut/hartford/windsor/windsor_history.html

Please visit Connecticut.

The Fist Witch Trial in the Colonies

2009-10-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Alse Young (sometimes cited as Achsah Young or Alice Young) (b. cal 1600) (died May 26, 1647) of Windsor, Connecticut, was the first person in the records executed for witchcraft in the thirteen American colonies.

Very little is recorded of Alse Young; her existence is only known through her reputation as a witch. She is believed to have been the wife of John Young, who bought a small parcel of land in Windsor in 1641, sold it in 1649, and then disappeared from the town records. She had a daughter, Alice Young Beamon, who would be accused of witchcraft in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts, some 30 years later. Like many similar cases of witchcraft, Alse Young was a woman without a son when the accusation was lodged, which implied that she would be eligible to receive through inheritance her husband's estate.

There is no further record of Young's trial or the specifics of the charge, only that Alse Young was a woman. Early historical record hints at the possibility that there may have been some sort of epidemic in the town of Windsor in early 1647. Alse Young was hanged at the Meeting House Square in Hartford, Connecticut, on what is now the site of the Old State House. A journal of then Massachusetts Bay Colony

Governor John Winthrop states that "One... of Windsor arraigned and executed at Hartford for a witch." [1] The second town clerk of Windsor, Matthew Grant also confirms the execution with the May 26, 1647 diary entry, "Alse Young was hanged."In 1642, witchcraft became punishable by death in the Connecticut Colony. This capital offense was backed by references to the King James version of the Bible: Exodus (22:18) says, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. And Leviticus (20:27) says, A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood (shall be) upon them. In Connecticut, witchcraft was last listed as a capital crime in 1715. The crime of witchcraft disappeared from the list of capital crimes when the laws were next issued in 1750.

Visit Connecticut.

The Branford House at Avery Point. Groton Connecticut.

2009-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Branford House was originally a 31-room mansion that rivaled those found in Newport. It was built at a cost of three million dollars in 1903 . Features included panoramic views of Fishers Island and Long Island Sound, its two-story fireplace, a winding staircase of imported Italian marble, and paneled walls carved by Italian and German craftsmen.

Morton Freeman Plant was a wealthy businessman chose to build his summer "cottage" at Avery Point for a number of possible reasons. Plant did not have an interest in being part of the social circles of Newport. He chose instead to be in the remote, yet increasingly popular, Groton area.

English architect Robert W. Gibson carried out her plans. The exterior was done almost entirely in the Tudor style using granite quarried from the grounds in order to harmonize with the estate's natural surroundings. The interior on the other hand was a melange of several different styles that Mrs. Plant wished to dabble in including Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, Classical, and even Flemish. Materials used for the interior ranged from rich woods such as mahogany, oak, and walnut, to imported stone and metals such as onyx, marble sandstone, bronze, and iron. Plant required the services of hundreds of European carvers to do the incredible ornamentation of fireplaces, pillars, and panels, each one being entirely different from the next. In some cases the use of imported materials was not enough for the rich tastes of the Plants. In one case an entire room was imported. It wad dismantled from Cornwall, England, reassembled in the mansion, and became the Plant's music room.

Plant also used his money to improve the aesthetic quality of his estate in a rather unusual manner. He could smell the odor of rotten fish from his back door caused by the Quinnipiac Fertilizer Company which was situated on nearby Pine Island. He solved this problem by buying the island and shutting down operations there. It became a playground of sorts in later years for his granddaughters, who loved to play in the over 500-tree orchard that was planted there.

Places Ive visited in Connecticut.

Thanks to

http://www.branford.uconn.edu/

for the information. My pitures added.

UPDATE

ZOMBIELAND, A MOVIE REVIEW!

2009-10-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

The entire world is hit with an apocalyptic infection that turns people into zombies once they have been bitten by an infected zombie.

synopsis:

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a young geek who has a lot of phobias about almost everything from clowns, to bathrooms, to checking the back seat of cars. Being alone and scared of the outside world has kept him alive. His new fear is being eaten by zombies. To survive, Columbus has begun making a long list of rules to survive. Each time he gives you one of his rules, you see an example of his rule in action. Columbus explains to the audience in a background voice such as wearing your seat-belt, or the double-tap rule after you shoot a zombie make sure he is dead by shooting him in the head again. Trust me; this is not a wasted shot. The number 1 rule is to be sure that you can outrun the zombies, because the overweight and slow people were caught first by the zombies.

He decides to go home to Columbus to see if his parents are still alive. Along the highway, he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) a redneck zombie killer who loves Twinkies and misses his puppy Buck. They team up and head for Tallahassee. On the way they meet and join forces with two girls, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abagail Breslin).

They may be the last surviving people on earth, and they must rely on each other to survive.

MY OPINION:

The move was good, not great, worth the $10. Would I spend $10 to see it again with a friend, no. The movie flowed like a narrated classic of the 80's. College aged kid explains life in a rather "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" meets "Shaun Of The Dead" sort of way. The Comedy was funny and the gore was pleanty but..... over all I feel in a long line of zombie movies it held its own. Hollywood must be running out of ideas because zombie movies just wont DIE! LOL

Go see this movie, its not a cuddle movie, not scary enough to hold hands through but leave the kids at home due to the gore.

Nicolae Plesita dies at 80; ruthless Romanian secret police chief

2009-10-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Gen. Nicolae Plesita, a die-hard communist and ruthless chief of the Securitate secret police who arranged shelter in Romania for terrorist Carlos the Jackal and was tried for the bombing of Radio Free Europe, has died.

He was 80.

Plesita died Monday in a Romanian Intelligence Service hospital in Bucharest, where he was being treated for various illnesses including diabetes, the Agerpres and Mediafax news agencies reported, citing family members.

Plesita commanded the Securitate's foreign intelligence service from 1980 to 1984. He gained notoriety for his contacts with Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.

Ramirez was hired by the Securitate on the orders of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu to assassinate Romanian dissidents in France and bomb the Radio Free Europe offices in Munich, Germany, in 1981.

Nine people were injured in the attack on the radio station, which broadcast into communist Eastern Europe.

In 1998, Plesita told court prosecutors that Ceausescu had ordered him to find temporary shelter for Ramirez in Romania after the bombing. Ceausescu sold arms and explosives to Ramirez and enabled him to produce counterfeit passports and driver's licenses, Romanian media reported.

After the 1989 anti-communist revolt, Plesita faced a military trial in Romania for being an accomplice in the Radio Free Europe attack.

The trial was interrupted several times, and he was eventually found innocent earlier this year.

In post-communist Romania, Plesita continued to attract attention with his revelations from the communist period and showed no remorse for having crushed anti-communist dissent.

Plesita's public appearances and relaxed manner were accepted in post-communist Romania partly because many former high-ranking Securitate officers still have key positions in politics and business.

Born April 16, 1929, in Curtea de Arges, Romania, Plesita was recruited to the Securitate as a teenager and rose in the ranks after he helped eradicate the last vestiges of anti-communist resistance in the Transylvanian Mountains in the late 1950s.

In 1977 he helped stifle striking coal miners in the Jiu Valley whose unrest posed a threat to Ceausescu.

It was after this that he was promoted to head foreign intelligence.

news.obits@latimes.com

Meet Marvin, men's answer to Maxine

2009-10-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

Men strike back!

How many men does it take to open a beer?

None. It should be opened when she brings it.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Why is a Laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?

Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support you.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Why do women have smaller feet than men?

It's one of those 'evolutionary things' that allows them to stand closer to the kitchen sink.

-----------------------------------------------------------

How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?

When she starts a sentence with 'A man once told me....'

-----------------------------------------------------------

How do you fix a woman's watch?

You don't. There is a clock on the oven.

----------------------------------------------------------

If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?

The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.

-- --------------------------------------------------------

Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by 90%.

It's called a Wedding Cake.

----------------------------------------------------

Why do men die before their wives?

They want to.

------------------------------------------------------

Women will never be equal to men

Until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

------------------------------------------------------

AND MAXINE SAYS............'MARVIN'...

Important Womens Health Information

2009-09-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Do you have feelings of inadequacy? Do you suffer from shyness? Do you

sometimes wish you were more assertive? If you answered, "Yes" to any of

these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident

about yourself and your actions. Margaritas can help ease you out of your

shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just

about anything. You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost

immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any

obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness

and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many

talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living with

Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing

should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or

becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:

- Dizziness

- Nausea

- Vomiting

- Incarceration

- Erotic lustfulness

- Loss of motor control

- Loss of clothing

- Loss of money

- Table dancing

- Headache

- Dehydration

- Dry mouth

- And a desire to sing Karaoke

WARNINGS:

The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when

you are not.

The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and

over again that you love them.

The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.

The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically converse

with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

2009-09-20T19:40:00.001-07:00

2009-09-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Top Ten Times in History When Using the "F" Word was Appropriate (WIDELY SPREAD OVER THE INTERNET)

10. "What the f*ck was that?"
-- The Mayor of Hiroshima
9. "Where did all these f*cking Indians come from?"
-- General Custer
8. "Any f*cking idiot could understand that."
-- Albert Einstein
7. "It does SO f*cking look like her!"
-- Pablo Picasso
6. "How the f*ck did you work that out?"
-- Pythagorus
5. "You want WHAT on the f*cking ceiling?"
-- Michaelangelo
4. "I don't suppose it's gonna f*cking rain."
-- Joan of Arc
3. "Scattered f*cking showers...my ass!"
-- Noah
2. "I need this parade like I need a f*cking hole in my head!"
-- JFK
1. 1. "Aw, c'mon, who the f*ck is going to find out?"
-- Bill Clinton

(MY VERY OWN) Top Ten Times in History When Using the "F" Word was Appropriate!!!

10. "Where did all these f*cking English Long bowmen come from"? - Charles d'Albret, French general, Battle of Agincourt.

9. "what do you mean the English have superior ships and better guns! F*ck me!" - Duke of Medina Sidonia, upon the failure of the Spanish Armada 1588.

8. "Where did all these f*cking British troops come from?" Napoleon, Battle of Waterloo.

7. "What do you mean, there was a f*cking Iceberg in our path?" Capt. Smith, RMS Titanic. April 15th 1912.

6. "Where did that f*cking German torpedo come from?" Forward watch sailor, RMS Lusitania 1915.

5. "Where did all these f*cking peasants come from?" Tsar Nicholas Romanov II, March 15th 1917.

4. "Why did they have to search the f*cking attic?" Anne Frank, August 4th 1944.

3. "The 3rd Reich will last 1,000 f*cking years!" Adolf Hitler, seconds before taking his own life, cowering in his Berlin bunker. April 20th 1945

2. "Who turned the f*cking lights on?" Saddam Hussein upon being forced out of the hole where he hid from US. troops. Farmhouse near Tikrit Iraq, Dec 14th 2003.

1. "What do you mean we're f*cking broke?" Mark Feilds, Ford Motor Company President, 2009.

Enjoy! lol

Henry V - Band of Brothers

2009-09-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRj01LShXN8&feature=related

Trails and Tails II

2009-09-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

NORTHWEST PARK, WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT, 06095

I urge everyone to travel to NORTHWEST PARK, Windsor, CT.

Too far to travel? At least read their website.

The trails are short but really nice, and the views of the open feilds, Tabacco barns, brooks, streams, Reservoir, and forests are breath taking.

Please check out their official web page here:

http://www.northwestpark.org/

Enjoy.

Trails and Tails I

2009-09-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry the pics are sideways, my PC wont save them straight on. hmmmmn.

Northwest Park trail, Windsor, CT

Today I drove up to Historic Windsor Connecticut. I went to NORTHWEST PARK, and hit the trails. I followed the "pink" then the "yellow" trail, passing the beautiful Rainbow Reservoir and many senic outlooks. Along the way "we" Sebastian and myself, were greeted my all forms of floral and fawna. Over all a great day and awesome hike. Windsor offers many other historic and nature attractions, being the fist English settlement in CT. The town boasts the oldest cemetery with headstones dating back to the early 1600's. I look forward tgo my return and using my camera to take better photos.

Rainbow Reservoir, Windsor CT, facing north.

Foot bridge, Northwest Park trail, Windsor, CT

Sebastian on a bolder, Northwest park trail, Windsor, CT

Clever shelter, Northwest Park trail, Windsor, CT

Up coming Recolta Festival

2009-09-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

September 23rd is traditionally the Stramos Roman Vampiri most beloved day. La multi ani Mama! (say this all day to everyone you meet) This translates to Happy Birthday Mother. This is what we Romanian Vampiri say on Recolta (Harvest) day. We give thanks to Mother Earth for all it has given to us. This is an all day celebration.

(1) You start by tending what plants you have in the moring. This is followed by the picking of spent flowers (dead heading) then the gathering of buds (place flowers in a stone vessel as an offering to Mother Earth). This vessel should be made of stone, earthen ware or wood, an old garden pot will do. No plastic!

(2) You eat Lunch at 3pm (what ever you like) and spend the day with family.

(3) set up your temple to Mama Natura (Mother Nature), (some sort of tent or overhang). underneath it should be a table and chairs to eat off of.

(4) Place the offering in the vessel and lay it at the foot of the tallest tree. It is important to note that the "offerings" must be of any colour but white. White flowers don't count as an offering.

(5) Place out your Sarbatoare (feast) on the table. This should include sweets and cakes only (dessert type foods). and gather your friends.

(6) Eat at ora nouasprezece (8pm).

(7) la miezul noptii ( at midnight) you walk the fields with a lanterna (lantern) giving thanks in anyway you choose. It is also important to note that the lantern must be with a candle NO FLASHLIGHTS.

If you have joined us late or dont have a temple constructed then just sit outside and eat sweets with a friend and lay flower pedals on a slab of stone. This will honor the intent of the festival.

Thank you for coming and celebrating the Recolta Festival with me La multi ani mama"

QUACK QUACK!

2009-09-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Donald Duck may be a lovable icon of comic mishap to American youngsters, but in Germany, he is wise and complicated and retains followers well past their childhoods. Using licensed Disney storyline and art, the legendary translator Erika Fuchs created an erudite Donald, who often "quotes from German literature, speaks in grammatically complex sentences, and is prone to philosophical musings," according to a May Wall Street Journal dispatch. Though Donald and Uncle Scrooge ("Dagoberto") speak in a lofty richness, nephews Tick, Trick and Track use the slang of youth. Recently in Stuttgart, academics gathered for the 32nd annual convention of the "German Organization for Non-Commercial Followers of Pure Donaldism," with presentations on such topics as Duckburg's solar system. [Wall Street Journal, 5-23-09]

SURELY NOT?

2009-09-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? A Grant was issued to Welsh artist Sue Williams when she was awarded the equivalent of about $33,000 in June, from the Arts Council of Wales, to explore cultural attitudes toward women's buttocks, especially "racial fetishism" in African and European culture. Williams said she will create a series of plaster casts of buttocks to work with, beginning with her own. [The Times (London), 6-28-09]

The END! lol

Awards

2009-09-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Recent events have put the Metrou under attack again and we have awarded the following members with honors.

The CRUCEA SERVICIUL CREDINCIOS (the Loyal service cross) is bestowed upon the following for valor in the line of duty.

General Sars, Grand Metrou Army

Nandikabhebhe, Distinguished member.

Tigerofdestiny, Loyal Bolt holder.

We thank them, each and everyone.

HOME FRONT

2009-09-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

Recently the Metrou was overrun and the Bolt was seized. This siege lasted just over 3 days. Through determination and loyalty the room was soon returned to us safely yet at a high cost. Feelings having been deeply hurt on both sides. However, with that now in the past the Metrou begins its clean up and returns to normalcy.

I wish to thank General Sars, Tiger, and Nandi for their efforts.

Thanks troops!

Back to blogging!

2009-09-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Salut

Thats right, Im back!

This summer has been cruel to me, one financial disaster at a time topped with the loss of my Mother.

Yet like everything in life I've bounced back. So its back to posting.

TRIBUTE TO THE BRAVE!

2008-07-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Having once served proudly myself in the Romanian Army. I pay tribute to our long history of bravery. Overcoming Dictators such as Ceausescu 1989 and Antonescu who sided with Hitler after deposing our King during WWII. I say, keep in mind not only those who bravely joined our Nation together in Union when Romanian Battalions poured over the boarders and retook the Carpathians. But also those who ignored their orders from Antonescu and then turned the tides of war against the Nazis.

Men so brave, they took up arms and against the judgment of the Allied powers, and not only invaded Hungary but subdued it. Smashing it, and taking from it, its greatness that it had once plundered from Romania.

TRAIASCA ROMANIA!

This video pays Homage to those who fought against Hitler and then Stalin.

This Video pays Homage to those that fought for Unification

UFO crashes into MIG in Romanian airspace

2008-07-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

UFO Hits Fighter Jet

Defense chiefs are investigating claims that a Romanian MIG 21 Lancer fighter plane was struck by ’strange objects’ after it had a mid-air collision with a UFO over central Europe on October 30, 2007, shattering the cockpit, according to the official report

Mock-up of the jet fighter and UFO collision. Image The Sun

The Romanian Military went on national TV to report that at an altitude of 6,300 meters/ 3.91464 miles and a speed of 500 mph (800 km/h) their airplane was hit by an object.

All assumptions that could provide a scientific explanation of chance were canceled. Romanian Defense Ministry officials have ruled out all normal types of collision such as bird strikes, ice or small meteorites. Rocket launches and ground artillery shots were also ruled out as possible explanations for the incident.

Birds don’t to fly at the height of 20,700 feet (6,300 meters), and the body of the plane didn’t have any trace of organic matter. The sky was clear with no conditions for water to freeze. Astronomical data confirms no entry of bodies such as meteorites were in the air that day.

There were no civilian flights at any hour that at about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from Gherla where the fighter jet was, no exercises with artillery cannons or missiles, no incidents reported to police on missile launching craft and no weapon had been launched or weather balloons.

The National Institute of Criminalistica stated that the hardness of the object that struck the aircraft was greater than the organic glass that was hit.

The object that struck the plane had a motion of rotating around its own axe, with a trajectory towards the aircraft, but rejected the assumption that the analysis had been talking about a projectile.

“We can definitely say what this thing was not, but we cannot say what it was.” Chief investigator Commander Nicolae Grigorie said.

The impact on a training flight above Transylvania took merely 67 milliseconds.

Security and onboard instruments including an on-board camera captured 4 UFO’s which could not be made out on video due to the speed and the impact.

The Pilot announced that he and 1 other airplane were doing a routine exercise about 4 miles (6 kilometers) away from Gherla, Romania when this object along with 4 others — only 1 hit the plane — came from under the clouds and hit his airplane. He was forced to abort mission and land immediately due to his wing and cabin damage.

Although the risk of crash seemed imminent when pilot Marin Mitrica was slightly injured, he managed to return safely to base unit Campia Turzii to land the plane.

Baffled defense chiefs have now passed the UFO incident on to the Security Committee of European Air Forces for investigation.

A similar incident happened in the United States in 1948 when Captain Mantell, of the Kentucky Air National Guard was sent to intercept a UFO that was in U.S. airspace, and was shot down by the UFO.

The Romanian military released a video captured by the plane’s in-flight camera as it was flying above Transylvania the night of October 30th.

Please, I urge everyone to help ban this dangerous chemical

2008-07-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Salut,

Please, I urge everyone to help ban this dangerous chemical

Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide!

The Invisible Killer

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills
uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are
caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen
monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes
severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive
sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea,
vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become
dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

Dihydrogen monoxide:

* is also known as hydroxyl acid, and is the major component of
acid rain.
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
* may cause severe burns.
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of
automobile brakes.
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Contamination Is Reaching Epidemic Proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every
stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is
global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO
has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the midwest, and
recently California.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce
remains contaminated by this chemical.
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can
be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact
on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!

The Horror Must Be Stopped!
The American government has refused to ban the production,
distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance
to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other
military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and
designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it
during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities
receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground
distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.

It's Not Too Late!
Act NOW to prevent further contamination. Find out more about this
dangerous chemical. What you don't know can hurt you and others
throughout the world.

This is a common household item found worldwide, (scroll down)

Ready for this? lol

Its WATER!

Water is made from 2 hydrogen and one oxygen atom, giving the name
dihydrogen monoxide.

Hahahaha hahahah hehehe haha!

Ciao,

A stranger in the garden

2008-07-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

You stand before your sink chopping onions all the wile just beyond the back door lurks a stranger. you set the knife down and walk out onto the back porch drying your hands with a cloth. Peering out the screen door you see movement but think nothing of it. Little do you know just beyond the shrub stands a killer.

A prehistoric killer. This killer, so deadly it has been stalking its prey for over fifteen million years. Yet still deadly enough to be responsible for the deaths of more than fifteen humans a year. In fact, in 2002 alone, more people were killed by this silent stalker than by sharks in over 100 years. I'm not talking about the African killer beeor a poisonous plant. This beast has a sense of hearing is more than ten times more acute than a human’s, and can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.

He smells you coming long before he sees you because its evil snout with its amazing sense of smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a human’s. He can out run you, follow you, track you, and when he pounces, his rows of sharpened teeth, 42 to be exact close on you tearing flesh from bone with 150-450 pounds of pressure per square inch exerting from his jaws. Yep, you guessed it. ............................

This beast is also known by its Latin name as Canine lupus familiaris, or your very own family dog!

Garden as of June 8th

2008-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Not much colour, save for the weeds!

MARK TWAIN HOUSE, HARTFORD

2008-06-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Today I chaperoned a small field trip to the Mark Twain House Museum in Hartford at 351 Farmington Ave Hartford Connecticut 06105. http://www.marktwainhouse.org/

All in all, it was a pretty good tour and there is plenty to see. However, The place, although it looks like they just spent eighteen million dollars on a renovation project, is seriously strapped for cash and is facing bankruptcy.

Samuel Clemens aka Mark twain, was an amazing author who wrote such works as:

The $30,000 Bequest by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

A Connecticut Yankee by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

A Horse's Tale by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Pudd'n'head Wilson by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

Tom Sawyer Detective by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (fiction)

What Is Man? by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (essay)

The sad thing is, its such a great place and the font of the biography of one of America's leading literary giants.

you too can help

PLEASE DONATE:

http://www.marktwainhouse.org/

Romania wants Dracula’s castle back

2008-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Transilvanian castle that inspired Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula should be returned to the State by its present owner, the Romanian Parliament ruled yesterday.

Bran Castle, near the historic city of Brasov, central Romania, is the country’s most popular tourist destination because of its link with the 15th-century Prince Vlad Tepes III, who went down in history as the Impaler for his preferred way of executing opponents. Historians are split over whether he spent several days or years in the castle.

The formidable 14th-century fortress had belonged to Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Queen Marie of Romania, but in 1956 it was seized by Nicolae Ceausescu’s communist regime, which turned it into a museum.

Last year the castle was given back to Queen Marie’s descendant, Archduke Dominic Habsburg-Lothringen, of the Austrian house of Habsburg, under a restitution agreement that included a pledge to keep it open as a museum for three years even if the property were resold. The 69-year-old Archduke, a New York-based architect and designer who lived in the castle briefly as a child, has since put the property on sale for a reported £100 million.

A group of politicians are trying to prevent him from selling the castle, which they consider an inalienable part of their country’s legacy. Their campaign resulted in yesterday’s parliamentary decision, and it is now up to the Constitutional Court to make the final call on whether authorities can repossess the property.

Corin Trandafir, the Archduke’s legal representative, told The Times that the decision to renationalise the castle was a political move and that his client would be suing the Romanian State for €150 million (£105 million).

My Bucuresti

2008-06-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

Basic Bucuresti city map.

My beautiful home, the capital city of Romania serves as the Cultural epicenter in Eastern Europe. The picturesque gardens, well arranged lakes, handsomely designed avenues, and strategically laid out grand boulevards lead you to narrow cobble stone roads and pretty corner shops as well as historic places of interest. The spacious parks are surrounded by imposing museums and palaces of old. Opera houses along side well appointed Mansions and looming Military monuments give way to rows and rows of Communist style housing blocks. This is my home town, this is Bucuresti!

Ceausescu's Palace

The Palace of Parliament - also called the House of People or the House of Ceausescu has been built between 1984-1989 and it represents the grandest administrative construction in Europe. It has hundreds of offices, halls for receptions or for other events (scientific, cultural, social-political), dozens of conference rooms. It covers 265.000 sqm interior surface, being the second biggest in the world after the Pentagon building in Washington.

The Athaeneum

The Romanian Athaeneum - one of the most representative buildings of the capital, erected in 1886-1888 following the plans of the French architect Albert Galleron. The necessary sums for the erection of the building were raised through public subscription. The exterior architecture represents a combination of styles: neo-classic, baroque, ionic, etc.

Arch of Triumph

The Arch of Triumph - inaugurated on 1st December 1936, glorifies the bravery of the Romanian soldiers who fought in the First World War, celebrating at the same time the 1918 Union of Romanian provinces. Designed by the architect Petre Antonescu, the monument is 27 m high.

Bucuresti Military Statue

Thank you for taking a moment to view my beautiful city.

The STINGING truth!

2008-06-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Ive been working all sorts of hours lately. Seems like three days since Ive looked online. Wednesday, I was pulling weeds and I uncovered a Hornets nest. BAMB! I felt a burning on my knuckle and figured I had caught it on a briar. As I glanced down I noticed a hornet digging his stinger into me in the same fashion as an Alaskan oil driller, drills for black gold. Last time I was stung I was eight and still living in Romania. I had a terrible reaction to it and was hospitalized. (clearly an over reaction to it by a British Mother in a Communist country with limited medical access) Now, my allergic reaction seems to have faded over the years, because other than the burning, no ill effects were felt. So I have since, abandoned that patch of soil and moved on as they say to "greener pastures"!

Disturbing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Next terrorist, or its next intended victim? This is a disturbing thought, yes?

This afternoon a friend of mine brought to my attention that ANYONE could be a terrorist. He not only told me how easy it is to buy explosives and bomb parts but he sent me a link on where to buy them!!!!!!!EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will not share the link nor the items themselves but I was disgusted by the ease in which anyone could buy them. I didn't see so much as an age restriction!

Our children are the real victims. They are either the ones who wind up getting their hands on the stuff or saddly the intended victims!

Gas prices!

2008-05-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

This guy has the right idea. He traded in his Porsche for a pony!

Well, I'm as pissed about the gas prices as the next guy but we need fuel to drive. Should we go the way of MASS TRANSIT? Okay, if GLOBAL WARMING hasn't frightened you into not wasting gas, the prices sure will! I myself paid $4.19 today and that was after I passed a place where it was $4.29. Right now, why wife in Bucuresti tells me that its well over $5.00 a gallon. What will we do??????????????????????????????????????????

THEN CAME THE RAIN

2008-05-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

I was out this afternoon trying my hardest to get my yard looking better. I bought about $100.00 worth of flowers at three different places. It was a beautiful sunny and hot day. On my way home it began to get dark, then darker still. I unloaded my flowers and set off to work. Crouched, I stabbed my trowel into the earth and BOOM a thunder clap! Then came the rain. Sprinkles to start the a roaring torrential down pour! The rain seemed evil, seemed angry as the dusty lawn turned to a raging torrent and the street turned into a river. A flash flood of small proportions if there ever was one.

Sebastian early spring 2008

2008-05-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

Duck hunting!

Sebastian, early spring 2008

Sebastian plays out in the garden, early spring of 08. the beds are bare but he has a good time trampling on the seedlings and shoots anyway.

A MOMENT OF REFLECTION

2008-05-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Reflections

Memorial Day is a good time to reflect on the sacrifices and services of the our soldiers and veterans that make up the men and women serving in the militaries of the US, ROMANIA, and GREAT BRITAIN. Our militaries have, and always will recruit the best and finest of the crop of young men and women of their said countries, and we will continue to shower them with appreciation, support and prayers, as we have always done. Memorial Day is just an opportunity for us to express the special places they have in the hearts of our citizenry and more by honoring the people who work in the various branches of the military. The horrific tragedy of September 11, 2001, has stirred all and reawakened the spirit of patriotism in all hearts and unity and oneness binds all Americans in a special bond. The words 'United We Stand' , 'God Bless America' , Traiasca Romania, Noi suntem poporul , God save the Queen, Long may she reign, still hold the power to stir out hearts on this very special day. Let the feelings of true patriotism and love for all those who have risked their lives for the sake of our families and very freedom show by putting up American, or Romanian, or even British flags in front of your houses, have parties with patriotic themes to honor military and ex-military men and women in your neighborhood and community. It is a good idea to coax them into telling more about their experiences with the military and on the warfront and you may get an opportunity to hear some exceptional real tales that you may have not even imagined about.

Absinthe sold stateside.

2008-05-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Absinthe. "It leads straight to the madhouse or the courthouse," declared Henri Schmidt, a French druggist urging his own countrymen to outlaw the green liquid in the early 1900s, which they did.

AND NOW ITS LEGAL IN THE US!

Please read more here:

Absinthe Is Back - TIME

Craft is everywhere.

2008-05-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Since September, 1998, more than 153 people have been murdered in East Java by groups of men clad in black wearing Ninja-style masks. The victims have been mostly Muslim clerics, black magicians and other people accused of sorcery.
The killers have struck against the sorcerers at night, cutting their throats and sometimes hanging their mutilated bodies in trees or tossing them in the street. Victims sometimes have been cut into small pieces and their body parts thrown into mosques.
Shocked by the mysterious murders, Indonesia's justice minister proposed outlawing black magic. In scenes reminiscent of the Salem witch hunts, mobs have also attacked and killed people suspected of being black magicians. Police have arrested more than 100 suspects, but acknowledge there's no clear motive for the grisly slayings.
Justice Minister Muladi blamed the mayhem on the sorcerers themselves and said that anyone who openly claims they can kill or hurt others with black magic should be punished. "That would be one way to resolve the witchcraft issue," added Muladi.
The commander of the Indonesian armed forces said that he had ordered police to bring an end to the mayhem According to Lieutenant-Colonel Isnarno, lynchings have increased as locals, tired of the failure of the police to solve the killings, have started to attack anyone suspected of being involved in the murder spree. Police say at least 10 murder suspects have been killed in east Java alone.
Indonesia's military -- though suspected of being involved in the killings -- has pledged to solve the mystery behind the wave of gruesome murders asap. Analysts have pointed to the butchery as another sign of the lawlessness that hit Indonesia after the economic and political crisis that led to the downfall of President Suharto in May.

Kids - n - Craft

2008-05-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Since June 15, 2001, over 800 suspected witches were hacked to death in villages in rebel-held northeastern Congo. "Villagers were saying that some people had bewitched others, and they started lynching them. By the time we discovered this, 60 people had already been killed by early last week. About 200 people lost their lives," Brig. Henry Tumukunde said.
Ugandan troops -- who had been in northeastern Congo since 1998 in support of a rebellion against the Congolese government but had been evacuated earlier in the year -- were sent back to the area to stop the killings. The killings began in Aru, 50 miles south of Sudan on the Ugandan border, but have quickly spread throughout northeastern Congo. Diseases and other troubles endemic to the region were being blamed on witchcraft which in turn led to the rampaging violence. Of course its the children who suffer most. Unfortunately young children are among the first tracked down for witchcraft.

Jim Jones & Jonestown.

2008-05-22T09:38:00.001-07:00

Jim Jones, the son of a Klansman, considered himself the reincarnation of both Jesus and Lenin. He was also endowed with a huge penis which he used repeatedly in the name of Christ. Jim had visions of an impending nuclear holocaust in which only the towns of Ukiah, California and Belo Horizonte, Brazil would survive. With that in mind, he relocated his first People's Temple to Ukiah to await the Armageddon.

Tired of waiting for the third world war, he moved his church to San Francisco where he received numerous humanitarian awards and became the Chairman of the city's Housing Authority. It was there that he first practiced a ritual called "White Nights" in which he prepared his followers for an act of revolutionary suicide to protest racism and fascism.
By 1977, as things started getting weirder, he was forced to move his church to Guyana, South America. There, in the isolation of the jungle, Jimmy created his dream community, Jonestown, and lost his mind. Jim's nirvana rapidly deteriorated into a nightmare which he knew of only one way to end.

On November 18, 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan from San Francisco went on a fact-finding mission investigating alleged human rights abuses at Jonestown. After only a day at the jungle compound, a member tried to stab Ryan. The injury was minor, but Ryan decided to leave with his party and 18 temple members who wanted to to return to the United States. Other members of the cult followed the group to the airstrip and opened fire, killing Ryan, three journalists, and one of the departing members. Eleven others were injured.
Hours later, the good reverend ordered his followers to drink from a tub of grape-flavored Fla-Vor-Aid laced with potassium cyanide and tranquilizers. All 900+ did. Children died first; babies were killed by poison squirted into their mouths with a syringe. Then the adults. Most were poisoned, some forcibly. Some were shot by security guards. As the ritual suicide progressed, it is unclear whether Jim put a bullet through his brain, or someone did it for him.
Within a few months of the mass deaths, other People's Temple members who had survived also committed suicide, with one mother slitting the throats of her three children. A year later, ex-People's Temple members Jeanne and Al Mills and their daughter Linda, who had been speaking out about their cult experience, were shot to death in their Berkeley, CA home. They had become among the most vocal People's Temple critics and feared for their safety.
When the bodies came back home, many could not be identified. Several cemeteries refused to take them until the Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland stepped forward in 1979 and accepted 409 bodies. The remaining victims had been cremated or buried in family cemeteries.
Jonestown itself has all but vanished, stripped by villagers and consumed by a fire in the early 1980s. Some believe that Jimmy was linked to the CIA and that the Jonestown massacre was in fact a mind control experiment. If it was, it was a total success. Years later, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed that he did indeed personally delivered the cyanide to his "good friend, Jim Jones."

Every year, on November 18, a memorial is held at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California, where 260 People's Temple children are buried. Due to the lack of dental records, the children were never able to be identified and thus were buried together there. On the 20th anniversary of the mass suicide, Liz Aguirre, president of Ultraseal International, hand-delivered a $5,000 check to finance a Vietnam memorial-type 20-foot wall to be erected in the cemetary. The black, granite panels of the memorial will have the names and ages of the victims inscribed as well as a dedication written by poet Maya Angelou.

Best Defense

2008-05-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when you are threatened with physical violence, a weapon todefend yourself with is not always available. Your hands, however, are alwayswith you, and can be as lethal as any weapon. Below are a list of attacks thatpolice are instructed not employ, as they may prove deadly.

1. TEMPLE - A very susceptibile vital spot. If struck with sufficient force, may cause unconsciousness or death.

2. NASION - This is the summit of the nose. If struck with sufficient force may cause death.
3. PHILTRUM - This is the area between the upper lip and the bottom of the nose. Attack to this area may also cause unconsciousness or death.

4. HOOK TO JAW - A powerful hook punch to the front side of jaw may snap an enemy's neck. Fatal.

5. ADAM'S APPLE - A sharp blow here may cause enemy to asphyxiate.

6. SOLAR PLEXUS - The small of back. May cause death.

7. TESTICLES - The strong, focused pain of a vicious low blow may cause shock, resulting in death.

8. BASE OF CEREBELLUM - A powerful blow to the nape of the neck, causing mortal damage.

9. COCCYX - A powerful blow to the tail bone. Fatal.

10. FULL NELSON - Stand behind the enemy, put your arms under his, and lock your hands behind his head. Bending the neck forward may either break neck, asphyxiate enemy, or cut of supply of spinal fluid to brain, causing brain damage or death.

11. HALF NELSON - Again, standing behind enemy, but one arm is used to pin one of enemy's arms.

12. BRAIN BUSTER - Bend enemy over towards you, placing him in a headlock. Grab the back of his belt, and haul him into the air, vertical, upside-down. Allow yourself to fall backward, landing on your enemy's head, which will absorb your combined weight. Most effective on concrete or gravel.

13. RUSSIAN OMELET - Cross enemy's legs. Fold enemy by pinning his shoulders to ground upside-down and placing his legs above him. Sit on his legs, folding the bass of the spine. Fatal.

14. HEART PUNCH - A strongman's attack, it is simply a powerful blow to the heart. (Many years ago, the wrestler Ox killed an opposing wrestler with this attack.)

15. UPPERCUT - An upward strike to the bottom of the jaw with the heel of the hand, causing the enemy's head to snap backward. May shatter vertabrae. Fatal.

16. ABDOMEN - A substantial blow to this area may rupture a vital organ, causing death.

17. RIB CAGE - A vicious shattering of the rib cage may cause grave internal bleeding.

18. HEAD-TO-WALL PUNCH - A swift, hard, cold-cock punch to an enemy's face while he is standing near a wall may drive his head into it, causing the back of the skull to shatter fatally.

19. PINNED DROP KICK - Standing behind enemy, holding his arms straight back. A drop kick to the back without releasing arms may severe spine, causing death.

20. HEAD WRENCH - Grabbing an enemy's head by the mouth and the back of the skull, then twisting with a sudden, violent jerk to rend vertabrae, may easily cause death.

21. CHOKE HOLD - Once a favorite of law enforcement officials, has often proved deadly. The right arm goes over the enemy's right shoulder, and grips the back of the head. The left arm comes over his left shoulder, reaches across neck, and grabs own right forearm. With enough pressure applied, causes brain damage or death.

22. HEAD YANK - Bend enemy forward, grab head, and pull back with convincing force. May seperate delicate vertebrae, causing death.

CBS draws curtain on 'Moonlight'

2008-05-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Two pics would have appeared here yet the sever is acting up.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS' vampire drama "Moonlight" will not rise again.Sources confirmed that the fan favorite will not be renewed by the network for a second season.CBS chose not to pick up the series because it was failing to hold its "Ghost Whisperer" lead-in and its ratings had declined in the weeks after the writers' strike. Last Friday's episode garnered a 2.0 rating among adults 18 to 49.The news is sure to devastate "Moonlight" fans, who, by any standard, have been passionate about the show. Recently fans organized a nationwide blood drive to rally viewer support for a renewal.Last year CBS picked up cult favorite "Jericho" despite mediocre ratings, only to see the series plummet when it returned this year. Given the serialized storyline of "Moonlight," the chances of the show rebounding next season seemed slim.The cancellation means that "The Big Bang Theory" is the only member of CBS' freshman crop to return next year.Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Funny, really, really, funny!

2008-05-12T22:45:00.001-07:00

(Must be read with and Italian accent) One day ima gonna Malta to bigga hotel. Ina morning I go down to eat breakfast. I tella waitress I wanna two pissis toast. She brings me only one piss. I tella her I want two piss. She say go to the toilet. I say you no understand, I wanna piss onna my plate. She say you better no piss onna plate, you sonna ma bitch. I don't even know the lady and she call me sonna ma bitch. Later I go to eat at the bigga restaurant. The waitress brings me a spoon and knife but no fock. I tella her I wanna fock. She tell me everyone wanna fock. I tell her you no understand. I wanna fock on the table. She say you better not fock on the table, you sonna ma bitch. So I go back to my room inna hotel and there is no shits onna my bed. Call the manager and tella him I wanna shit. He tell me to go to toilet. I say you no understand. I wanna shit on my bed. He say you better not shit onna bed, you sonna ma bitch. I go to the checkout and the man at the desk say: "Peace on you". I say piss on you too, you sonna ma bitch, I gonna back to Italy.

Romanians are handsome

2008-05-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

This goes out to Licky, Wispy, and Moony. Who couldnt stop talking about how hot Romanian guys are. I drag out the old reliable.

Sorin, top Romanian male model.

A MIS ATTRIBUTED QUOTE

2008-05-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Little known fact:

More often than not the qoute " Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely " is wrongly attributed to Machiavelli because of the Machiavellian theory suggests that a clever demagogue, employing deception is democracy’s ultimate end. What follows, predictably, is a universal catastrophe. "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely" was An observation that a person’s sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases. The statement was made by Lord Acton, a British historian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

PASTE FERICIT!

2008-04-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hristos a inviat, Adevarat a inviat!

ROMANIAN ORTHODOX EASTER

Most Romanian Easter traditions are the same all over the country. Still, each region has some specific customs and practices. Typically associated with the natural beauty of the areas, some of them legendary, the Easter Holidays should encourage you to explore Romania.
Are you going to be in Romania for Orthodox Easter this year? Then you could spend this holiday in a unique and unforgettable way.
Although staying in Bucharest doesn't mean you are going to be bored, as there are many places to go and a lot of things to do, few of the old traditions have been kept alive here. If you really want to experience Romanian Easter, you need to go to villages or small towns. The local residents will welcome you into their homes with traditional “pasca” and “cozonac” (a sort of pound cake), with coloured eggs, painted in themes which are specific to this part of the world (we call them “oua incondeiate”).
We cannot speak about Easter without saying a few words about the Holy Day that precedes it, Palm Sunday (in Romanian, “Florii”), the Sunday before Easter. On this day, we celebrate the revival of nature. The faithful go to church to bless small willow branches, which they later put at their windows, doors or gates. In some areas the villagers will put these branches around their waist ,in the belief or hope that this will protect them from disease and make them stronger. They also hang the “martisor” lace, which they wore in March, on a blossoming tree, in addition to some objects from the dowry of young girls. During this night, the girls put sweet basil flowers under their pillows, if they want to get married that year.
In Muntenia, people don't wash their hair on this day, believing that if you do that on Florii, when all the trees blossom, your hair will turn white like the crowns of the trees. Another old belief says that the on Easter the weather will be just as it is on Florii. The popular name of this holiday comes from the Roman goddess of flowers, called Flora. The Christian Holiday overlapped the Roman one. If there is a storm, people may burn the buds of the willows from Florii, in order to scatter the clouds and the hailstones, protecting their house and family from disaster.
In the countryside, peasants make big fires on top of the hills during the Easter night. The fires are called “watch fires”, and in some villages they burn all night, the fires can be seen not only on the hills, but also the valleys. The celebrants sit around the fire, re-telling stories from the life of Jesus. The boys and the young men jump over the fire, so that witches will have no power over them.
A ritual washing takes place on Easter morning., the villagers put a red egg in a basin or, in some places, a silver coin, over which they pour fresh water brought from a well. All the members of the family wash themselves, while saying: “Let me be healthy, and may my cheeks be as red as the egg; let everybody want me and wait for me as are awaited red eggs on Easter; let me be loved like eggs on Easter Day.” Then they take the silver coin and, passing it over their faces, they say: “Let me be proud and clean like silver”. The girls add to that: “Let me pass from one hand to another while dancing, like money; let me be light like the egg-shell, which floats on water”. In some villages, they also put common basil in the basin, for they say that if you wash yourself with it you will be honored like basil.
Having come back from church, the family sits around the table. After eating and toasting with glasses of drink, there comes the great moment: the knocking of eggs. The head of the family knocks first with his wife, speaking the traditional “Christ has risen!”, to which the response comes right away: “He has risen, indeed!”, sometimes add: “Let us knock eggs so we may have a beautiful Easter next year as well, and after death meet each other again in heaven”. The other members of the family follow in turn, beginning with the elderly. According to popular belief, it is well to remember with whom you knocked first, because, if you happen to get lost in a forest, all you have to do is remember the person with whom you knocked eggs first on Easter, and you will find your way back. Lunch on the first day of Easter is a chance to reunite the family, following the entire ritual. On the Easter table you will always find, beside the red eggs, the green cheese, green onion and radish salad, kell and, of course, lamb steak.
All these practices have very old roots, going back to the Middle Ages or earlier, some preceding Christianity. The tradition of using coloured eggs on different occasions comes from times out of mind. It existed already in ancient Egypt and Rome. The Chinese used coloured eggs 2000 years before Christ. The researcher Ioan I. Lacusta speaks about the Easter egg as “a bearer of life, a symbol of regeneration, purification and eternity”. In Bucovina, the red egg is believed to protect people from the devil, who try to learn whether they dye the eggs and keep the traditions. Only when these customs disappear will he come to the world.
One of the oldest storie about coloured eggs in Romania is of the Florentine secretary of Constantin Brancoveanu, Antonio Maria del Chiaro, who, around the year 1700, was amazed by the golden color of the dyed eggs from the Court of the Muntenian ruler.
The colors used for dying eggs correspond to certain symbols:
Red – the symbol of blood, sun, fire, love and joy of life
Black – absolute stability, eternity
Yellow – light, youth, happiness, harvest
Green – revival of nature, freshness, hope, fertility
Blue – sky, health, vitality
Violet – self control, patience, confidence in justice
A long time ago, the eggs were dyed using vegetal colors, but today chemical dyes are more typical. Vegetal colors were prepared following old recipes, passed on from one generation to another, with a great variety of methods and techniques. The materials and utensils used in decorating the eggs are extremely diverse, ingenious and vary in the different regions of the country. In some areas people boil the eggs, in others, they make a small hole and suck out the contents. Decorative eggs are also made with colors in relief (Vrancea, Putna Sucevei), embellished with glass beads (Bucovina), of wood (Neamt), of clay (Corund-Harghita) or even of plastic (Bucovina). The ornamentation of the eggs includes geometrical, vegetal, animal, anthropomorphous, as well as religious symbols

PASTE FERICIT!

THE HUMAN MIND

2008-04-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

Aoccdrnig to rsecearh, it deosnt mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are,olny taht the frist and lsat leettr be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae thehuamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe!

V-2: Hitler's last weapon of terror

2008-04-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

HITLER'S V2

John Clarke was six years old when the first V-2 rocket to hit London landed outside his house in Chiswick in the west of the capital.

"The best way of describing it is television with the sound off. You're deafened, that's what it boils down to. Seeing an airing cupboard crumple in front of you without a sound is an eerie experience," he says.
John's sister, Rosemary Ann, was killed that Friday in 1944. She was three.
"There wasn't a mark on Rosemary. The blast goes up and comes down in a mushroom or umbrella shape," Mr Clarke explains.
"But in the process of that, my sister's lungs collapsed. She was deprived of air."
Rosemary had been in the front upstairs bedroom of the Clarke family residence at 1, Staveley Road, when the explosion ripped their house apart. John was in the bathroom, upstairs at the rear of the house.
"I got a piece of the bomb casing in the back of my hand which has created a scar. But I still have full use of my hand - I was very fortunate. The bathroom upstairs didn't collapse. But one of the bedrooms next to it did, which I found very strange as a boy."
Space dreams
The V-2 that shattered Chiswick 60 years ago on Wednesday took just five minutes to travel there from its launch site in the Netherlands.

Click here to see a map of V2 launch sites and flightpaths
At 6.44pm, the tonne of high explosives it carried detonated in the centre of the road, gouging a crater 10m (30ft) across and 2.5m (8ft) deep. The blast killed three people, injured 22 and demolished six houses.
The attack marked the beginning of a terror campaign by Adolf Hitler against targets in Allied territory that would claim at least 5,000 lives.
The rocket's original title was the A-4, but propaganda minister Josef Goebbels named it Vergeltungswaffe zwei (Vengeance Weapon 2), or V-2.
The Nazis hoped the V-2, and other weapons like it, would rain down on their enemies causing physical destruction and psychological shock.
Yet one of the most curious and - to some - disquieting stories in the development of this ultimate weapon was the crucial role played by amateur space flight enthusiasts inspired by romantic ideas of manned travel out into the cosmos.
At the end of the 1920s, Lieutenant-Colonel Karl Emil Becker of Germany's Army Ordnance Office began to investigate the revival of the rocket as a weapon.
Amateur beginnings
"The Army was looking for a replacement to heavy artillery, which had been forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I," explains Konrad Dannenberg, 92, an engineer who worked on the German Army's rocket programme.
"The amateur people just didn't have the means to build large rockets. It took this special support from the government to really sustain the activities that led to the A-4."
Becker's relationship with one of the amateur groups - the Raketenflugplatz Berlin - established the nucleus of the team behind the V-2.
Inspired by the work and mentorship of pre-war rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth, the Raketenflugplatz had been experimenting with liquid-fuel rockets. These worked by mixing an oxidiser (liquid oxygen) with a fuel (petrol or alcohol) and burning them in a combustion chamber to provide propulsion.
In 1932, Becker invited the amateur group to make a demonstration launch, which was an embarrassing failure. But Becker was impressed with a young member of the group - a charismatic aristocrat named Wernher von Braun - and offered him a job.
The 20-year-old space flight enthusiast accepted and immediately began work on a liquid fuel rocket, named Aggregat-1, or A-1, at the Army Ordnance Office in Kummersdorf.
Von Braun was soon joined by another young rocket enthusiast called Walter Riedel. They were to work under the direction of an engineering-savvy army officer named Walter Dornberger.
Intentions clear
"Von Braun always saw this as a detour; he'd rather have been building space vehicles. But he also said this was the only way we were going to get the money. From the very beginning, he knew he was there to build weapons," says Michael Neufeld, curator of World War II history at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, US.
"He hoped that the weapons investment would lead to a technological investment that would then make possible space flight."
Von Braun later defended his decision: "In 1932, the idea of another war was absurd - there was no reason for moral scruples over the use to which our researches might be put in the future."
The following year, the National Socialist (Nazi) Party seized power under Adolf Hitler. Von Braun's detour would see him become technical director of a programme to produce a guided missile for use against Allied targets during WW II.
Between 1932 and 1935, real progress was made by von Braun and his team, and the programme outgrew Kummersdorf.
Von Braun began looking for a site to build a new experimental centre for their rocket development activities. He settled on Peenemuende on Germany's Baltic Coast.
Incredible site
To justify the move, von Braun, Dornberger and Riedel met to sketch out the specifications of the ballistic missile they planned to build. In late 1935, they proposed the goal of a rocket engine with a thrust of 25 metric tonnes (56,000 lbs).
The new project, designated A-4, would have to overcome significant technical obstacles. Its engine had to be 17 times more powerful than the largest rocket motor at the time, it would have to fly at nearly five times the speed of sound and be guided to targets 300km (186 miles) away.
Due to the high priority now being placed on liquid-fuel rocketry by Army High Command, the programme received lavish funding and vast resources.
In just five years, the team had mastered four technologies key to the rocket's success: its powerful 25-tonne thrust engine, its aerodynamic shape, its innovative "inertial" guidance system, and its radio transmission system.
The first two attempts at launching the A-4 failed. But on 3 October 1942 - the third attempt - the rocket soared to a height of 80km (50 miles), crashing into the sea 190km (120 miles) away.
Werner Dahm, 87, a former aerodynamics engineer at Peenemuende, witnessed the launch from a boat on the Baltic Sea.
"I saw that thing fly high up, with an increadible scream. I always thought it could be done, but it's a complicated business, after all. A lot of things have to go right," he says.
Allied search
Hitler had been slow to see the potential of rocketry but, says Dahm, the successful test probably did much to convince the Fuehrer of its value to the war effort.
Over 18-19 August 1943, the RAF conducted a bombing raid at Peenemuende. The raid missed many key facilities, but it prompted the SS to order that the production side of the A-4 programme be moved to an underground facility in central Germany that became known as Mittelwerk.
The use of slave labour from the Dora concentration camp in the production of V-2 rockets at Mittelwerk would haunt the rocket programme's legacy long after the war had ended.
The V-2 campaign was a last desperate attempt by the Nazi leadership to turn the course of the war.
In all, over 1,300 V-2s were fired at England, killing 2,724 people. Germany struck Antwerp in Belgium with 1,265 V-2s and Paris with hundreds more. An accurate count of casualties on the continent is not available.
It was not to be the war-winning weapon the Nazis hoped for. In March 1945, the western front collapsed and Allied forces swarmed across the Rhine.
But amid the chaos, the major Allied powers were scouring Germany to find out whatever they could about the V-2.
Specialist recruitment
Determined his engineering team should not be broken up, von Braun and his close associates debated what to do. The discussions resulted in unanimous agreement to surrender to the Americans.
"Would you like to work for a guy like Stalin?" Dahm asks rhetorically. "We didn't want to get caught by the Russians. And in Europe, after the war, nobody could afford to build rockets."
US Army intelligence officers soon found many Peenemuenders in and around Oberammergau, in the Bavarian Alps, where they had been evacuated. On 2 May, two days after Hitler's suicide, von Braun, Dornberger and their close associates surrendered to American troops.
The Russians, meanwhile, reactivated Mittelwerk with the help of former staff, many of whom had remained in the surrounding area.
So began a scramble to unlock the secrets of the V-2 that would ensure the rocket had a lasting and profound legacy on the post-war world.
The technology pioneered at Peenemuende would eventually realise dreams of space flight. The V-2 was the forerunner of the booster rockets that would allow humans to escape the shackles of gravity.
But it was also the precursor of all modern guided missiles. As such, rocketry was not to escape the shadow of military exploitation.

MY SPIRITUAL GUIDE & FAMILIAR

2008-04-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

MY SPIRITUAL GUIDE & FAMILIAR

First of all, what is a spiritual guide and a familiar? In simple terms, a spiritual guide is a being that guides you though life. It can be of a human being, an animal, or something that closely represents yourself. Sometimes a spiritual guide is mistaken for a familiar. This is not true! It goes deeper than that. A familiar is something that anyone can see at any given time while only you and it has the knowledge of being your familiar. Also, a familiar is usually there to keep you from bodily harm and stupid decisions that could cause damage to your physical and mental self. Unlike a spiritual guide, a familiar relates to you in most aspects and there is a mind link as well. On the other hand, your familiar can be your spiritual guide as well. Most people will only go through life having one spiritual guide as well as a familiar. Being a special case though, I have more than one of each.Let's start with my spiritual guides which are also my Guardians/Protectors. I will not give names to them all due to "putting myself out there". Right then, the first one I have known about whom I have had since I was a little girl would be Dementrus Damian. He is, believe it or not, a dragon. He is one of the few left whose the son of the Father of all Dragons. He is average height of around seven feet, stands on two legs with black scales and long jeweled wings. He can become very moody and overly protected; he is not the type of creature I would like to deal with when you get him pissed off! Another would be an angelic figure, flesh and blood just like a human being just with black feathered wings. He is more gentle natured but deadly all the same. His innocent face and god-like body along with a sweet pure voice confuses a lot of people. Now for my familiars! Where to start is my question?! Let me start with Shadow. He is my first familiar and the "Leader". Shadow is a shade tiger meaning his real form is a black tiger that seems like mist, but he is able to take on any shape. There is also Little Ashe which is pretty much a smaller form of my inner wolf. Yes, he is a soot colour wolf with slightly powder white paws. The last one I shall mention is a female Ocelot whom I call Icey Veins due to her eyes which seem to pierce through everything she gazes upon. As you can tell, I have more males than females. ( Thinking to self: "Maybe this is why many mistake me for a guy?" v_v; )Well, I hope you enjoyed reading little on my spiritual guides and familiars. Until next time, Adieu!

President Bush and Romanian Prime Minister Popescu-Tariceanu After Meeting

2008-04-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

BUCHAREST, Romania--

(BUSINESS WIRE)----Victoria Palace

Bucharest, Romania 2:03 P.M. (Local)

PRIME MINISTER POPESCU-TARICEANU:

(As translated.) Hello, good day. Of course our discussion was a very useful and very pleasant one. We discussed both bilateral issues between Romania and the United States. I expressed to President Bush our gratitude for having had the trust to have Romania organize this important NATO summit in Bucharest. The organization of the NATO summit in Bucharest was very symbolic. It is part of a much larger vision and concept, this vision being that to strengthen and to unify Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain. And the idea was to foster, to strengthen the Alliance in the eastern and southeastern flank, from the Baltic Sea all the way to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

That is how we have to interpret the membership of Albania and Croatia to NATO, the future membership of Macedonia, and eventual Georgia and Ukraine membership, as well. But our discussion was not limited to that. We also discussed other issues of political and economic relationship between our countries and about the U.S. investments in our country. And I shared with President Bush my ambition, my hope, and actually my dream that to see a very important industrial investment from the United States in Romania, an investment with which generate common interests and would foster even more our partnership. And I'm referring to the Ford company, and of course a common interest like this would make me feel, as a citizen and as a Prime Minister, much more protected by our common interests. I would like to also mention another initiative which was announced by the President yesterday, which was the creation of an American-Romanian foundation which will set up educational programs and grants for Romanian students. I'm talking about seed money of $150 million, which could be -- which in time will arrive at $1 billion investment, which will create -- which would be an investment in the future, creating the future, Romanian ambassadors to United States or the American ambassadors to Romania, it would be our hope.

PRESIDENT BUSH:

Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. We just had a great -- we had a good meeting, because we're good friends. Okay, I'll just keep going. INTERPRETER: I was actually told that everyone speaks English, so I should not interpret. PRESIDENT BUSH: Okay, fine. (Laughter.) Anyway, we had a very good meeting, Mr. Prime Minister. Thank you for your time. First of all, I want to congratulate the government, yourself, for hosting a very successful NATO summit. It's not easy to host as many automobiles, body guards, world leaders, hanger-oners as you did. And yet you did it, and you organized well. Everybody who came to the summit was most impressed. I really do want to thank you. And I want to thank the people of Bucharest for their patience. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I do think it was a good sign, it was important for your country to be the host of this important event. And it was a very successful summit. We had good discussions about a successful bilateral relationship, as well. I told the Prime Minister, one reason why capital comes to a country is because people feel comfortable about taking risk.

I also congratulated him on these big investments that are coming; it's a good sign. The people of Romania ought to be -- appreciate the fact that the conditions are such that people are willing to invest. And by the way, investment creates jobs, which is also -- will have a direct benefit for the people of Romania. I also congratulate the Prime Minister on having a 16 percent flat tax. I'm a little envious. I would like to have been able to achieve the same objective for our tax code, and it was a smart thing to get done, because I think those kinds of policies will enable the Romanian folks to have a bright future. We talked about energy. But we also talked about visas. There is a real contradiction here that's hard for the people of Romania to understand, in that on the one hand, how can certain people within the EU be treated one way, and Romanians be treated another way when it comes to visas. And I fully understand that contradiction, Mr. Prime Minister. Our Congress passed new law -- it frankly wasn't as good as I thought it should be, but nevertheless, it is the law of the land, because I signed it into law. And we will work with your government on a couple of matters, one, to figure out why the rejection rate is so high. There needs to be more transparency, and the Prime Minister made it very clear that we have an obligation to explain why certain folks are not getting visas. And we'll do that. The other thing is, obviously, we've got law on our books that we need to work with you, to help everybody understand in the process what compliance means. Overall, the trip here has been great. This is the second time I've come. I didn't have quite the dramatic rainbow scene this time as I did the first time I came, but clearly there's been a lot of progress. The city looks different to me. The spirit is still strong. Freedom has taken hold, and I congratulate you, the government, and all involved for the progress you've made.

END 2:12 P.M. (Local)

Amost a week off! ugh

2008-04-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

After almost a week off, well, I wasn't off I was really busy. But I'll start posting again.

LIBERAE SUNT NOSTRAE COGITATIONES

2008-04-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Liberae sunt nostrae cogitationes
by: Katac Cerrus Criophix

A wandering of the mind in extents. Where do the minds of vampires wonder exactly and what is this place we call a day dream? These are questions which we do not commonly think about.

Is it to say that our minds are not opened on a spiritual level and subcuming to outside interaction with preconscieved thoughts and notions? Are we making this up in our head as we go along or are we part of a daily feed of images and designs so complex and indepth we don't know where its coming from. This idea could be mind boggling.

Vampires naturally have a connection to outside and inside forces and relieze this potential more keenly in general than other individuals. To this extent we are more intune with our body and its needs and it is more intune with us.

To a outside extent everything that you day dream maybe real to a degree. To a inside extent when you look out at the world and close your eyes and imagine the world there is no differnce in your brain besides you telling it "I have my eyes closed and I can't see". Your brain also cross referances with your body to understand situations and to feel situations. You can look outside and it seems sunny but when you go out its 40 below.

Vampires have adapted to this sharing of information and tend to weight it out between themselves and others. In a way it keeps the parts of the whole correct to the best of its abilitys.

There you go-something for you to add to-a basic frame work-work what you need into it and take away what you don't. Just keep the title because its latin and spiffy.

Man Believes His Dead Wife is Contacting Him Via Cell Phone

2008-04-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

It was five years ago when Frank Jones' wife and son died unexpectedly. His son, Steven, died of a brain tumor at an early 32. Three months later, his wife, Sadie died from a heart attack at the age of 69. Sadie was a cell phone addict. "She always had a mobile with her," Jones told the Blackpool Gazette. So, of course, they buried Sadie with her cell phone.Now Jones believes Sadie is getting service six feet under, and she has been sending him text messages with words only Sadie would say. Of course, there is no return number on the messages or missed calls, leading Jones to believe the communications are form his deceased wife.Creepy? Yes. But here's where things get creepier: The house Jones lives in has a history of hauntings from a being called "The Thornton Thing". The entity drove a family from the house in 1971, and after the Jones family suffered hauntings as well, they had the house exorcised. It wasn't until the untimely deaths of his wife and son did Jones start experiencing messages from beyond. The obvious question we can't help asking: What kind of service does one get up there? She's clearly getting a lot of dropped calls.From the Blackpool Gazette

Romanian Muralist Dies.

2008-04-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Romanian painter Sabin Balasa, appreciated for huge surrealistic murals but criticized for painting former communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in a flattering light, died on Tuesday. He was 76.
Balasa had been in hospital for a month with lung cancer and died of a heart attack Tuesday afternoon, doctors at the Saint Mary hospital in Bucharest said.
Balasa was one of Romania's most prominent artists, gaining notoriety after he painted Ceausescu and his wife Elena in the 1980s. Critics said he contributed to Ceausescu's massive personality cult.
Ceausescu and his wife were executed after a summary trial during the anti-communist revolt of December 1989.
Balasa's fame and success continued after communism ended. He was often commissioned to paint murals on the walls of Romania's newly wealthy.

Big companies, public institutions and universities also commissioned his art for hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). Some said his style often depicting naked women and fictitious animals was kitsch although his work was instantly recognizable.
He was married four times and is survived by his wife, whom he was divorcing, and two sons. He will be buried later this week in Iasi, a city in northeastern Romania.

Bush snubs Basescu.

2008-04-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: It's over when Bush says it's over
By TERENCE HUNT,
AP
Posted: 2008-04-02 12:33:23
NEPTUN, Romania (AP) - Are we done here?U.S. President George W. Bush apparently thought so when he ended a news conference Wednesday with his host, Romanian President Traian Basescu."Thank you. Thank you very much," Bush told reporters, a code phrase that means, "That's it, folks."Typically, as a matter of courtesy and protocol, the host decides when such an event is over. But Bush has been known to ignore that practice.In Colombia in 2004, he sought to end a session with reporters even when Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was ready to take more questions. In Belgium in 2005, he tried to cut off a news conference before his host, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, got a chance to speak his fill.Then there was Wednesday's abrupt moment in Romania, when Bush figured the question-and-answer session was done. He strolled over to Basescu and asked if he was ready to take a walk by the water."Just a moment," Basescu interjected politely.Oh."He's not through," Bush observed. Bush headed back to his podium, on the beach of the Black Sea at Basescu's picturesque retreat.The Romanian president took a few moments to comment about an important issue in his country, the availability of visas for people to visit the U.S.Then - finished for real this time - the two leaders took their stroll by the water.Bush is in Romania for the NATO summit, where security officials are on watch for intruders: wild foxes and stray dogs.While Bush and Basescu met at the resort in Neptun, professional hunters scoured nearby forests teeming with foxes.A local mayor, Traian Cristea, said the foxes often venture onto the roads where Bush's convoy passed, so hunters were trying to frighten the animals deeper into the woods.Officials in Bucharest, the site of the summit, have rounded up as many of the city's estimated 30,000 stray dogs as possible. They do not want the strays biting anyone in town for the meetings, which began Wednesday and run through Friday.There is some fear the animals could jump in front of leaders' motorcades and cause crashes.Strays are usually plentiful. But on Wednesday, it was hard to find an unleashed dog.Simona Panaitescu, director of Bucharest's Administration for the Monitoring of Animals, said the strays were crammed into overcrowded municipal animal shelters. After the summit, she said, they will be released back onto the streets.Remember Zamfir, "the King of the Pan Flute" who may have sold more albums than Elvis in Europe? No?Well, the Bush administration wants you to know that the star of those old television commercials is one of Romania's most famous citizens.On the occasion of Bush's visit to Bucharest, the White House has put Gheorghe Zamfir on a list of Romanian artists and athletes, including former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci, worthy of special note by journalists traveling with the president.A three-page biography of "Maestro Zamfir," distributed to reporters in a package of background material on Romania, hails the pan flute virtuoso as a "musical pioneer," a "living legend," and, to some of his loyal fans, possibly "the reincarnation of the god Pan."The bio, downloaded directly from Zamfir's official Web site, notes his international fame and popular appeal, especially in Europe and Asia, where music lovers have no doubt racked up sales of his records.It also says the world was nearly denied his tremendous talent because as a teenager he was virtually forced to take up the pan flute when he could not get a seat in classes for his instrument of choice: the accordion.Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Alina Wolfe Murray in Bucharest, Romania contributed to this story.On the Net:NATO summit site: http://tinyurl.com/3yuwr2White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/nato/
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
04/02/08 12:32 EDT

Romanian police question 46 anti-NATO demonstrators after scuffle

2008-04-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Romanian police question 46 anti-NATO demonstrators after scuffle
AP
Posted: 2008-04-02 11:34:31
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian police say they are questioning 46 anti-NATO activists about scuffles that broke out before the start of a NATO summit in Bucharest.Police spokesman Christian Ciocan says 10 of the activists are German and the rest are Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Romanian citizens.Ciocan says the activists attacked a guard and the director of a factory Wednesday because a truck carrying paint was not allowed to enter the rented facility. Officials say the demonstrators apparently wanted to use the paint to make protest banners.Ciocan has told The Associated Press that the activists are not being formally detained, but investigators want to identify them.There are unconfirmed media reports that at least one of the demonstrators was beaten during the scuffles.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
04/02/08 11:33 EDT

Death and the carrot, a bunnies story.

2008-04-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Death so sad and hungry.....Sitting on a stumplooking off in the horizon....thinking to himself i have no friendsin tell he hears hop hop hop in the distance....he looks to the leftlooks to the right....and looks all around but still can't find what is make the hoping sound...so he just looks off into the sunset again....in tell here hears hop hop hop again....this time he looks down...You know what he found? A little bunny with a frown....Death asks why are you so sad....bunny replies....i found this carrot laying on the ground and i have no friends to share it with me.....Death says yea i have the same problem i have no one to share my reaping with.....bunny looks up in to deaths eyes with a pitiful lonely look...death looks down into bunnies eyes with a devious look....and off goes bunnies head...Death just smiles, laughs and yells THE CARROT TRICK ALWAYS WORKS.

Romania defeats Russia 3-0! BRAVO!

2008-04-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

Daniel Niculae

Ciprian Marica

Florentin Petre

Bucuresti, Romania (AP) - Romania beat Russia 3-0 in an international friendly on Wednesday. Ciprian Marica gave Romania a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute at Ghencea stadium when the forward drove a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev.Daniel Niculae doubled the lead in the 62nd with a 16-meter shot after taking a pass from Marius Niculae, who headed the ball past Akinfeyev from six meters in the 75th to make it 3-0.Romania attacked from the outset and had several shots at goal. The first chance came from Florentin Petre in the 22nd minute before Russia counterattacked and Vladimir Bystrov went close.Russia coach Guus Hiddink said his team had been "naive" and "foolish" in defense. He added that the pace of Romania's game was faster because more of its players are at big European clubs.Striker Adrian Mutu, who had been injured, captain Cristian and Marica were all replaced in the second half for Romania.The match was one of four friendlies for Russia ahead of the June 7-29 European Championship. Romania has one further warm-up match, against Montenegro.Lineups:Romania: Marius Popa (Razvan Stanca, 89), Cosmin Contra, Razvan Rat (Laszlo Sepsi, 87), Gabriel Tamas (Ovidiu Petre, 35), Cristian Chivu (Daniel Niculae, 46), Mirel Radoi, Florentin Petre (Banel Nicolita, 62), Ciprian Marica (Marius Niculae, 46), Adrian Mutu (Nicolae Dica, 46) , Razvan Cocis (Marian Aliuta, 85), Dorin Goian.Russia: Igor Akinfeyev, Sergei Ignashevich, Alexei Berezutskiy, Vasily Berezutskiy (Dmitry Sychev, 65), Alexander Anyukov, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Dmitry Torbinsky, 61 ), Yuri Zhirkov, Igor Semshov, Vladimir Bystrov, Roman Shirokov, Roman Adamov (Roman Pavlyechenko, 59).

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Romanians are Sexy II

2008-04-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well!

Romanians always get such bad press. When pictured on TV or online, they usually use some gypsy old hag! We know the truth, that Romanians are HOT!

Dan, this is a few more of Alina:

And Regina, this is a few more of Alex from an earlier post:

Sexy Romanians

2008-04-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Romanians are sexy!

Im back at it again Here is a little something for Dan and Regina.

Dan, this is Alina Puscau a Romanian Supermodel:

And for Regina (Stapan Obtuse) we have Ralf, okay not a very Romanian name but Im not his father so I can't sat why they named him that. Ralf (Romanian for Ralph) is a bodybuilder/model from Bucuresti.

SPRING BREAK

2008-04-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

What images do you see when you hear the words "Spring Break"?

I think palm trees, beaches, and babes! lol but the sad reality of this spring break is.....................

A lawn full of weeds and a lifeless garden. Much work to do. No beach for me, besides check out my forcast.

Real or not?

2008-04-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

Hmmmn, is this a fake or another freak of nature?

Your next President?

2008-04-01T11:24:00.001-07:00

Funny, you still gunna vote for that?

TANCUL ROMANESC

2008-04-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Tank modernization. The Romanian tank manufacturer intends to upgrade about 150 old tanks (built on technology dating back to 1985). The upgraded "Bizonul" TR-85 M1 medium tank will be produced in cooperation with the French firm Matra. At the end of 1999, the first batch of new tanks was delivered to operational units for testing.

In line at the Post Office.

2008-03-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Romanian postal service

Poşta Română (Romanian Post) is the state-owned postal service of Romania. The company is responsible for the delivery of mail in Romania, as well as the issuing of postage stamps. It also provides a range of other services, including logistics, currency exchange, software development and consultancy services. Poşta Română is a founding member of the Universal Postal Union. In 2004, Poşta Română was the host and organiser of the UPU's 23rd Universal Postal Congress, which was held in Bucuresti.
As of 2005, the CEO of Poşta Română is Gabriel Mateescu

Check out the official link.

Compania Nationala Posta Romana ::: Bine ai venit

Equal time ....again.

2008-03-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dan and Obtuse, Thank you for your continued fanship.

Obtuse and our female readers, this is for you. My Blog reader says I have 67 followers, and dozens of random hits. But, as for guys. I think Kratos and I are the only two that read it. LOL

So ladies.....................................

Only 18 years old and has just started to model: Alex Ceobanu, junior bodybuilder from Romania.

.........and Dan:

Amanda 22 year old Student from Bucuresti.

No doubt, Romanians are HOT!

2008-03-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, Romanians are very good looking. Speaking as one myself, I cannot lie. We are a damn good looking bunch! lol

This post goes out to the man known as "Dan", and his wife, our very own Stapan Obtuse. I think its interesting how they read my blog as a family. Ill do what I can to keep it interesting.

In our continuing series on Beautiful Romanians here is a little something for Dan.

(top)

Adela is a 21 year old model from Bucuresti. She attends University and models on the side.

......and a little something for Obtuse too.

Christian is one of many Bucuresti models I believe he models for big companies world wide:

Kosovo independence has solved no problems

2008-03-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

"Kosovo independence has solved no problems"

27 March 2008

Russia's representative to EU Vladimir Chizhov says Kosovo's unilateral independence has not solved any problems.Speaking to Moscow daily Vremya Novosti, Chizhov reiterated that the order that had existed in Kosovo until February 17 had been defined by Resolution 1244 as temporary until a final solution was found.

“However, recognition of the unilateral independence declaration by thirty or so states out of 200 does not solve the problem. Kosovo’s status will remain undetermined until a stable international-legal solution is found,”

the Russian diplomat predicted. Asked whether Belgrade’s proposal for divided authorities in majority Serb regions would lead to a partition of the province, he said no.

“The Belgrade proposal, to our knowledge, does not mention the issue of partition of Kosovo. It concerns cooperation between Belgrade and the UN mission in the interests of implementing Resolution 1244, which envisages assistance to national minorities,” Chizhov explained.

Asked whether the EU was seeking to extend the powers of its special representative Pieter Feith, as it had done for International High Representative Miroslav Lajčak in Bosnia-Hercegovina, the Russian official replied that this was impossible.

“The framework that the EU is bringing to Kosovo is borrowed to a great extent from the Martti Ahtisaari Plan. He virtually copied it from the Dayton Peace Accords for Bosnia-Hercegovina, which stipulate the functions of the high representative. But, in that instance, the decision was sanctioned by Resolution 1031,” he pointed out.

“In Kosovo, however, there is no international-legal basis for implementing a similar plan. Its initiators, who’ve created some sort of ‘international steering group’ do not have the moral or legal right to claim to be expressing the will of the international community,” Chizhov concluded.

Eurofighter Typhoon

2008-03-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

The Eurofighter 2000, or Eurofighter Typhoon as it's now known is a multinational effort by a number of European nations to produce a leading edge fighter aircraft for the next century.
The project has been dogged by political problems from the start which in turn have played a significant role in its delayed service entry date. Originally scheduled to enter service in the late 80's the first fighter is now scheduled to fly before the end of 2001.
Given the changing world situation and the availability of excellent cheap Russian aircraft, the Typhoon cannot arrive at a better time. And whatever it's critics may suggest the aircraft is anything but a failure.

Please check out these links:

YouTube - Eurofighter Typhoon

Eurofighter Technology and Performance : Structure

What is impalement?

2008-03-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Impalement

Definition: Impalement

Impalement

Noun

1. The act of piercing with a sharpened stake as a form of punishment or torture.

impale

• verb transfix or pierce with a sharp instrument.

— DERIVATIVES impalement noun impaler noun.

— ORIGIN Latin impalare, from palus ‘a stake’.

Impalement is an act of torture or execution whereby the victim is pierced by a long stake, through the sides, or even from rectum through the mouth. The stake would be usually planted in the ground, leaving the victim hanging to die from blood loss. Medieval tyrants like Vlad III Dracula and Ivan the Terrible were quite fond of dispatching undesirables in this way. It was also used as a systematic way of executing prisoners immediately after a battle. Impalement is considered a very cruel and painful death.

Usage Frequency: Impalement

"Impalement" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Impalement" is used about 6 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

SPAWN!

2008-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

This funny pic came to me via a member.

Im sure that every parent thinks his or her child is a demon once and a while but the parents of this child must have had quite a shock!

Maiestatea Sa Mihai I Regele Românilor

2008-03-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Maiestatea Sa Mihai I Regele Românilor ("His Majesty Michael I King of the Romanians")

KING MICHAEL (Mihai 1) OF ROMANIA was the only constitutional monarch to lead his people in person during the Second World War. After refusing to act as a puppet king and thereby give legitimacy to the regime Hitler had set up in Romania, the twenty-year-old king led a coup d'état against the Germans that shortened the war and postponed the communist dictatorship of his country. In the first biography of King Michael for many years, Ivor Porter draws on a wealth of primary sources, including interviews with King Michael—whom he first met as a young Army officer over sixty years ago—the Romanian royal archives and Queen Helen's unpublished diaries, to tell the dramatic and moving story of this unique monarch.
Michael's childhood was as grim as a grotesque fairy tale. Born in 1921, one of his first memories was of his mother in tears. The cause of her unhappiness was her unscrupulous husband, King Carol II—who abandoned his family and crown for his mistress but later returned to usurp his son's throne and exile his wife. During the war everything changed. King Carol was forced by the Germans to abdicate in favour of eighteen-year-old Michael. Hitler made Romania a staging post for his invasion of Russia but completely underestimated its new king. On 23 August 1944 Michael, with the support of the Romanian Resistance, led a successful coup d'état against the Germans. For three years—with the Soviet army in occupation, the Western Allies unable to help, and the two main democratic parties virtually destroyed—he hung on grimly to some degree of constitutional democracy until Stalin showed his hand. Ivor Porter tells the inspiring tale of the king who tried desperately to save his country and who, after being exiled by the Communists for fifty years, was finally able to return and tell his people, 'I love you. Don't forget that.'
IVOR PORTER was sent to Romania in 1943 as one of a three-man mission led by Colonel Gardyne de Chastelain to urge the Resistance to rise against the Germans whatever the consequences. Dropped in fog too far from the target, they were captured and imprisoned. Eight months later he met King Michael on the evening of his anti-German coup, 23 August 1944, and he was in Romania throughout the King's resistance to Soviet occupation. Now retired from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and living in London, Ivor Porter is the author of the acclaimed Operation Autonomous: With SOE in Wartime Romania which was short-listed for the Time-Life/Pen Award for non-fiction.

'Though many people think that not to be allowed back into your country is easier to bear than not to be allowed out of it, this is not true. The feeling of powerlessness and loss of liberty is associated with both.' Rege Mihai 1, c. 1955

PLEASE READ THIS LINK: Michael I of Romania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AND: Queen Anne of Romania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Poem- Self Destruction

2008-03-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Is life meant to have meaning or is the whole point of life is that there is no meaning no destined way to live no controlled state of being or being influenced by messages or bill boards is life suppose to be ignorance or a brilliant freedom of space and eternity not influenced by a controlling body or set up by humans just like us...Death is just an illusion of living...death just another life beyond life itself so blind we cant see it ,a lot more to offer pick a portal and just jump....an imitation of death -invitation of life just do it and fly....Cant you see heaven nor hell? Tell me this is there any way to live...Anyway to be yourself with this "State of living" embodied imprisoned Cattle we are harvested to mine gold to enrich the government while we sit back and watch...Watch something we can't see happen before use...Then enslavement of man kind Tell me Can you see it? I do....The stillness in the air...The breath of Armageddon so near...Yet further and Further we destroy what isn't the problem starting wars with in war in itself battling fighting changing something that doesn't need change Tell me Can you see heaven or hell? Open your mind and Exhale.... !

By "The D Man" Derek.